Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson has been named 2024 WNBA MVP in unanimous fashion, the league announced on Sunday. This is the third MVP award for Wilson, which is tied for the most all-time with Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
Wilson, who also won MVP in 2020 and 2022, received all 67 first-place votes from the media panel, making her the first unanimous MVP since Cynthia Cooper in the league’s inaugural season in 1997.
After falling short of the honor last season in a historically close race, Wilson left no doubt in anyone’s mind this summer. She put together the best individual campaign the league has ever seen. Most notably, she became the first player to score 1,000 points in a season and set the single-season rebounding record.
She also recorded the highest single-season scoring average ever with 26.9 points, breaking Diana Taurasi’s long-standing mark of 25.3 in 2006, was the first player to lead the league in total points (1,021), rebounds (451) and blocks (98) in the same season, set the single-season record for consecutive 20-point games (15) and became the Aces’ franchise leader in points and rebounds.
Over 38 games, Wilson averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.58 blocked shots and 1.79 steals in 34.4 minutes. She ranked first in the WNBA in both points and blocks, second in rebounds, fifth in steals and fourth in minutes, setting career highs in all five per-game categories.
Along the way, Wilson was named an All-Star for the sixth time, earned four Western Conference Player of the Month awards and helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was named MVP of the tournament.
Wilson’s dominance on both ends of the floor allowed the Aces to stay afloat during a difficult beginning to the season in which they dealt with Candace Parker’s surprise retirement and Chelsea Gray’s foot injury. Eventually, they clicked back into gear and won nine of their last 10 games to finish 27-13 and earn the No. 4 seed.
Their quest for a threepeat will begin with a first-round matchup against the Seattle Storm, which tips off on Sunday.
Rounding out the top five in the MVP vote this season were Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas. Players received 10 points for a first-place vote, seven for a second-place vote, five for a third-place vote, three for a fourth-place vote and one for a fifth-place vote.
WNBA MVP voting results
|
A’ja Wilson |
67 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
670 |
|
Napheesa Collier |
— |
66 |
1 |
— |
— |
467 |
|
Breanna Stewart |
— |
1 |
52 |
26 |
1 |
295 |
|
Caitlin Clark |
— |
— |
6 |
17 |
22 |
130 |
|
Alyssa Thomas |
— |
— |
2 |
2 |
22 |
85 |
