A’ja Wilson named WNBA MVP for record-breaking fourth time
By Jamie Barton, Jack Bantock, CNN
(CNN) — A’ja Wilson has been voted as the 2025 WNBA Most Valuable Player, winning the award for a record-breaking fourth time.
The Las Vegas Aces star amassed 51 of 72 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters as she picked up total of 657 points to finish ahead of the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier (534 points) and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (391 points).
Having previously been named MVP in 2020, 2022 and 2024, Sunday’s announcement means Wilson has surpassed the three awards won by each of Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
Remarkably, it also means that Wilson – who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Aces in 2018 – has claimed the award in half of her eight seasons in the WNBA, with last year’s won by unanimous vote for the first time since Cynthia Cooper in 1997.
The Aces center was presented with the MVP trophy, designed by Tiffany & Co., on Friday, a video shared by the league showed.
A tearful Wilson was mobbed by her teammates before being commended by WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“Since 2020 when we were in the bubble and I handed you your first one (MVP award), I’ve admired the way you’ve lived, your grace, your humility, your humor,” Engelbert said.
“Just one of the greatest players to ever be in this league. A global icon, a global ambassador, not just for our game but all women’s sports and all sports.”
The seven-time WNBA All-Star averaged a league-high 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in the 2025 regular season, and tied her playoff career high of 38 points on Thursday in a 74-73 win over the Seattle Storm to set up a semifinal clash with the Indiana Fever, which begins in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Having ranked second in the league for blocks, with 92, and third for steals, with 64, Wilson was also named Defensive Player of the Year this week for the third time, sharing the award with Lynx forward Alanna Smith.
She is the Aces all-time leading scorer and had her No. 22 jersey retired in February.
For much of the season, it looked as though Collier was pacing to win her first WNBA MVP award. But her bid was hurt by a seven-game absence following an injury sustained in a win over Wilson’s Aces, a layoff that coincided with the start of Las Vegas’ 16-game winning streak – during which Wilson averaged 26.1 points and 12.0 rebounds.
Wilson and Collier may yet face off the in the WNBA finals, with the Lynx set to begin their own best-of-five semifinal against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday.
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