A Historic Third MVP and Unstoppable Force in the WNBA

Joining the Legends: Wilson’s Third MVP

A’ja Wilson , center-forward for the Las Vegas Aces, has been named the 2024 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). This is Wilson’s third Kia WNBA MVP Award, making her the fourth player in league history to win the award three times. She joins Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson in this distinction.

Wilson received all 67 first-place votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, marking her the first unanimous Kia WNBA MVP since Cynthia Cooper in 1997.

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A’ja Wilson was drafted first overall by the Aces in 2018 and has since led the team to two WNBA championships. Among her accolades, Wilson has been named the Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year twice, an All-WNBA Team selection four times, and the 2024 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award for her contributions to the community.

In the 2024 WNBA season, Wilson averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.58 blocked shots, and 1.79 steals per game. She led the league in points and blocks, ranked second in rebounds, and set career highs in all five per-game categories. Wilson also broke the WNBA single-season record for scoring average, previously held by Diana Taurasi in 2006, with 1,021 total points and 451 total rebounds. She became the first player to lead the WNBA in total points, rebounds, and blocks in a season.

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Wilson also earned four Western Conference Player of the Month awards and six Player of the Week honors throughout the season. A six-time WNBA All-Star, Wilson was part of the USA Women’s National Team at the 2024 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game and led the team to a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, where she was named MVP of the tournament.

Some highlights of Wilson’s 2024 season include recording the two highest-scoring games of the year (42 points against the Dallas Wings and 41 points against the Phoenix Mercury). She set records for consecutive games with 20 or more points (15) and games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (eight). Wilson also became the Aces’ franchise leader in total points and rebounds.