Las Vegas Aces Star A'ja Wilson Wins Record 5th WNBA Most Valuable Player Award

Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson has added another landmark accomplishment to her athletic career by securing her fifth WNBA Most Valuable Player award, according to reporting by theGrio and an official announcement from the WNBA on Thursday, Oct. 8. The 30-year-old center made league history as the first player in the 30-year existence of the WNBA to capture three consecutive MVP titles, having previously won the honor in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025.

According to voting details released by the league and reported by theGrio, Wilson earned 65 out of 74 first-place votes along with nine second-place votes, totaling 713 points from a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. In her ninth WNBA season, the University of South Carolina alumna compiled averages of 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game while playing 32.0 minutes across 41 contests.

She led the WNBA in scoring average for the third consecutive year and paced the league in blocks per game for the fifth straight season, marking her sixth block title overall. Wilson was surprised with the historic news via a personal phone call from former Vice President Kamala Harris, theGrio reported. Reflecting on the personal connection during a press conference shared by the league, Wilson highlighted their shared sisterhood. "I got a message from Kamala Harris. Obviously, that is an honor. My soror. A woman of our history. And I’m so appreciative to be able to share that moment with her through the phone call and the message of her delivering that I won my fight MVP," Wilson stated.

The Olympic gold medalist also shared the deep emotional weight of achieving her career milestones. "You dream as a young girl, you dream so big, and you write your goals out, and you just never imagine that you’re able to check them off. And when you’re able to check them off- small wins, big wins- it truly means a lot," Wilson said during the press conference. "I think thats why I cried a little bit harder on this one." Beyond the historical prestige, the 2026 Kia WNBA MVP award carries a $60,000 monetary prize and a custom trophy created by Tiffany & Co., according to the league report.

Wilson's campaign also included sweeping all four Kia WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month honors in 2026, making her the first player in league history to complete a monthly conference award sweep twice in a career after first accomplishing the feat in 2020. The WNBA also recognized several other outstanding performers across the league for the 2026 season. Minnesota Lynx rookie guard Olivia Miles finished second in the MVP balloting after earning the 2026 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year award.

Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese was selected as the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Jessica Shepard of the Dallas Wings claimed the Most Improved Player Award, while Janelle Salaun of the Golden State Valkyries was unanimously voted Sixth Player of the Year. Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was named Coach of the Year.