A'ja Wilson wins a record fifth WNBA MVP, and no one else has more than three
The short version
A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces won the 2026 WNBA MVP on October 8, her third in a row and fifth overall. No other WNBA player has more than three. She took 65 of 74 first-place votes after leading the league at 26.2 points per game, the second-highest scoring average in league history.
What did A'ja Wilson win, and how close was the vote?
Not close. Wilson received 713 points, including 65 of 74 first-place votes and the other nine second-place votes, from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, per the Associated Press and Just Women’s Sports. Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles finished second with 442 points and six first-place votes, ahead of Indiana's Kelsey Mitchell at 287 and Caitlin Clark at 212.
Her mother, Eva, presented the trophy, with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Aces owner Mark Davis in attendance, per the AP.
What numbers carried her to a fifth MVP?
Scoring at a level only she has reached. Per the AP and Just Women’s Sports:
- 26.2 points per game, the league lead and the second-highest average in WNBA history, behind her own 26.9 in 2024.
- Nearly 53% shooting from the field.
- 9.4 rebounds, a career-best 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.
- Four of the top seven single-season point totals in league history now belong to her.
Where does A'ja Wilson's MVP count rank in basketball history?
Alone at the top of the WNBA. Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson each won three, and Wilson is the first player to win three in a row, per the AP. Her five came in 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026, starting two years after Las Vegas drafted her first overall in 2018.
Across both leagues, only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with six, has more. Michael Jordan and Bill Russell won five each in the NBA, per the AP.
Why did she skip the trophy ceremony?
To warm up. Wilson skipped the pregame MVP ceremony during the semifinal series against Golden State to stay with her team, per Just Women's Sports. She said she loves the fans but her focus was on the game, and she called the fifth award a little different from the others, per the same report.
What does an MVP mean for a player's contract?
For most players, the award is written into the pay rules. Under the WNBA's rookie scale, a player still on her rookie deal who wins MVP can move up to the supermax, as the 2026 WNBA rookie contract guide explains. In the NBA, an MVP lets a rookie scale extension start at 30% of the salary cap instead of 25%, per the rookie scale extension guide.
Wilson is long past her rookie deal, so her leverage shows up in her next negotiation under the new WNBA salary structure.
What happened to the Aces next?
Update, October 9: the season ended a day later. Golden State beat Las Vegas 87-77 in overtime to finish a 3-0 sweep, and Wilson scored 21 in the loss, per Newsweek. The Aces had reached the semifinals for the eighth straight season, per the AP.
Sources
- Associated Press via KSL: A’ja Wilson wins third straight MVP and record fifth overall
- Just Women’s Sports: A’ja Wilson wins record fifth WNBA MVP
- Newsweek: Valkyries sweep Aces to reach first WNBA Finals
Data current as of October 14, 2026. Figures are linked where each one appears. Leagues and regulators update these rules; check the source before relying on a number.
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