Las Vegas Aces center has won MVP, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported on Sunday morning. Wilson averaged a league-most 23.4 points per game this season, alongside 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals.
Her scoring has skyrocketed through three postseason games; she’s averaging 29.3 points on 55.4% shooting.
This is Wilson’s fourth MVP award — the most ever by a single player in WNBA history. While the WNBA has yet to release vote counts, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas were both widely considered to be in the mix for the award, with Collier appearing to be a frontrunner for much of the season.
Wilson appeared to be a somewhat distant second in the race for MVP all season long, but Collier sprained her ankle in August and ended up missing a quarter of the season. While Collier sat, the Aces began a 16-game win streak that was anchored by Wilson’s dominant play on both ends.
Collier and Thomas have both yet to win an MVP award, but both still have a chance at their first-ever WNBA title this fall. Both players will face off Sunday when the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury play one another on Sunday afternoon at 5pm ET.
Wilson and the Aces continue their postseason on Sunday as well; Game 1 of their Semi-Finals series against the Indiana Fever is at 3pm ET in Las Vegas.
Why A’ja Wilson won MVP
I, senior WNBA writer at SB Nation, voted Wilson for MVP after much consideration, as detailed in my ballot explainer from earlier this month. Along with being the league leader in points and blocks, Wilson had a demonstrable impact on winning, as I explained in that story:
When Wilson has been off the floor this season, the Aces have been outscored by 15.2 points per game. And when she’s been on the floor, the Aces have outscored opponents by 11.7 points per game.
That’s a 26.9 point per game swing.
It’s the highest in the WNBA (among high-minute rotation players), and it’s honestly one of the most ridiculous stats I’ve come across this year.
Wilson has the highest win-shares (9.5) of any player in the league, as well as the highest offensive win-shares (6.2) and defensive win-shares (3.3), per Basketball Reference.
Collier had the edge in that the Lynx finished with the best record in the WNBA, and she put together a historically efficient season, becoming just the second player in WNBA history to finish the season shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from three, and 90% from the line. But, ultimately, more voters selected Wilson for MVP — though the exact voting breakdown has yet to be disclosed by the WNBA.
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