Las Vegas Aces center-forward A’ja Wilson caps off an incredible record-breaking season as she has been unanimously named the 2024 WNBA Most Valuable Player, the league announced on Sunday.
The 28-year-old, who won the honours for the third time having previously gotten it in 2020 amd 2022, ties the record for the most MVP awards in WNBA history. She becomes the fourth player in WNBA history to win three MVPs, joining big names like Sheryl Swoopes (2000, 2002 and 2005), Lisa Leslie (2001, 2004 and 2006) and Lauren Jackson (2003, 2007 and 2010).
A’ja + M’VP 🏆
It just goes together. Redefining the game, one play at a time. Congrats, A’ja Wilson!
26.9 PPG | 11.9 RPG | 2.3 APG | 1.8 SPG | 2.6 BPG
2024 @Kia WNBA MVP #KiaMVP pic.twitter.com/c9d4n8NTRl
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 22, 2024
Wilson, a six-time WNBA All-Star, recored 670 voting points after receiving all 67 first-place votes from a panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters, making her the first unanimous WNBA MVP in 27 years, since 1997 when the great Cynthia Cooper of the Houston Comets’ achieved the feat in the league’s inaugural season.
The Aces’ No. 22 beat a stacked list of stars which include Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, who finished in second place with 467 total points; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (295 points) in third, Indiana Fever guard and WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark (130 points) in fourth place and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (83 points) in fifth place.
Players were awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, seven points for a second-place vote, five points for a third-place vote, three points for a fourth-place vote and one point for a fifth-place vote.
As a reward for being named the 2024 WNBA MVP, Wilson will receive $15,450 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.
Now in her seventh season, Wilson, who was drafted by the Aces with the first overall pick in 2018, averaged a league-high 26.9 points and 2.58 blocks, as well as 11.9 rebounds, and 1.79 steals in 34.4 minutes in 38 games this season.
Among the rest of her pairs in the WNBA, she ranked first in both points and blocks, second in rebounds behind rookie Angel Reese, fifth in steals and fourth in minutes, setting career highs in all five per-game categories. Wilson also finished seventh in the league in field goal percentage (51.8) and 17th in free throw percentage (84.4).
The 6-feet-4 star, who won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this summer, ehere she was also named as MVP, broke the WNBA single-season record for scoring average, which had been set by Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi in 2006 (25.3 ppg). She also set the single-season records for total points (1,021) and total rebounds (451).
Records shattered. Milestones conquered.
A’ja Wilson claims her third MVP title with a historic season for the ages 🌟
2024 @Kia WNBA MVP #KiaMVP pic.twitter.com/5fDSXwkYzf
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 22, 2024
Wilson also ended the regular season as the first player in WNBA history to lead the league in total points, rebounds and blocks (98) in a single season.
In the just-concluded regular season, she was named the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month four times (May, June, July and September) and the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week six times (Weeks 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12).
A two-time WNBA champion, Wilson, led the Aces to a 27-13 win-loss record in the regular season, earning Las Vegas the fourth seed in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, where they will face the Seattle Storm in the first round, with Game 1 of the series scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (3 a.m. Nigerian Time) at the Michelob ULTRA Arena.
