Minnesota's Napheesa Collier among 5 finalists for WNBA MVP award

Originally posted on Bring Me The News | By Joe Nelson | Last updated Sep 19, 2025 3:24 PM ET

One day after Alana Smith was named the WNBA Co-Defensive Player of the Year, star forward Napheesa Collier has been named a finalist for the 2025 MVP award.

Collier is a finalist along with A'Ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces), Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever) and Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream).

Wilson and Collier are the frontrunners, with Wilson seemingly favored to win the award for the fourth time in her career. Wilson could become the first four-time MVP in league history, having been named MVP in 2024, 2022 and 2020.

Wilson is currently one of four players in league history with three MVPs, joining Lisa Leslie, Lauren Jackson and Sheryl Swoopes.

The only players in Lynx history to win MVP are Maya Moore (2014) and Sylvia Fowles (2017).

Collier was the frontrunner for MVP before an ankle injury knocked her out of action for seven consecutive games in August. For the season, Collier finished third in the league and scoring average and became just the second player in WNBA history to shoot at least 50% overall, 40% from three-point range and 90% from the free-throw line.

Wilson, however, led the league in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocks. She led the Aces on a WNBA record 17-game win streak that was snapped with a loss to Seattle in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

The Aces won Game 3 Thursday night to advance to the semifinals, where they will face Indiana in a best-of-five series beginning Sunday.

The Lynx swept Golden State and await in the semifinals for the winner of Friday night's game between New York and Phoenix. Game 1 of Minnesota's best-of-five semifinal series will begin 4 p.m. CT Sunday in Minneapolis.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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