A'ja Wilson Wins Historic Fifth WNBA MVP as Aces Face Elimination
A'ja Wilson is the WNBA's Most Valuable Player again. For the fifth time.
The 30-year-old Las Vegas Aces center was named the 2026 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player, becoming the first five-time MVP in league history and winning the award for a third straight year, BBC. No one else has more than three.
Wilson earned 65 of 74 first-place votes for 713 total points. The votes were cast by a panel of WNBA media members, Yahoo Sports. Her first four MVPs came in 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2025, WNBA.
She learned the news in an unusual way. Former U.S. vice-president Kamala Harris told Wilson with a voice message. A ceremony was planned for Friday night to mark the honor.
She chose warmups. Las Vegas trails the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in a best-of-five semifinal, where the first team to three wins advances, and faces a must-win Game 3. Wilson said before the game she would skip the ceremony to warm up with her teammates.
The numbers explain the vote. Wilson averaged 26.2 points per game to lead the WNBA in scoring for the third straight season. She scored in double figures in all 41 games she played.
She did it with force, night after night. Wilson scored at least 20 points in 33 games, the third-longest such streak in a single season in league history. She tied her own single-season record with at least 30 points in 13 games.
There was defense, too. Wilson led the league with 79 blocks, The Athletic. At center, the position usually anchored near the basket on both ends, she carried the scoring load while protecting the rim.
The resume keeps growing. Wilson is an eight-time All-Star. She has won three league titles with the Aces in the past four years.
What makes this stand out is the combination. MVPs often come from great teams or great stat lines. Wilson has both, and now she has separated herself from every other MVP the league has ever had.
