A’ja Wilson was recognized for having one of the greatest individual seasons in WNBA history as the Las Vegas Aces forward won her third WNBA MVP award through a unanimous vote, making her only the second WNBA player in history to win the MVP unanimously. LeBron James dedicated multiple stories on his Instagram to Wilson’s incredible achievement.
Wilson averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 2.6 blocks this season, dominating the WNBA even though the reigning back-to-back champions Aces don’t look like the best team in the league at the moment. If Wilson leads them to a successful three-peat this season, she’ll cement her name amongst the all-time greats of the sport.
James and A’ja share a bond based on their deep connections with Nike, as James has supported Wilson at different points in her career. Not that she needs James to support her, but it’s always great to watch the greatest active player in the sport be invested in WNBA basketball like how LeBron has been.
Wilson is the second unanimous MVP in league history, joining Cynthia Cooper. She’ll be preparing for the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, where the Las Vegas Aces (27-13) tip their postseason off tonight with a game against the Seattle Storm (25-15).
A’ja Wilson Set The WNBA Record For Most Rebounds In A Season
Wilson has had one of the best seasons any WNB player has had in modern history, with Wilson expected to be one of the finalists, if not the winner, of the Defensive Player of the Year trophy as well. One of the ways she solidified her candidacy for the DPOY is her incredible rebound rate, pulling down a total of 451 this season.
That mark has allowed Wilson to set a new WNBA single-season record, but the unanimous MVP made it clear that these statistical feats mean nothing to her.
“Record for what? Rebounds? That’s cool. I don’t hunt rebounds, so it’s not something that’s always on my mind. But when it comes to just getting the basketball for my team…”
“I’m 6’4″ and I’m around the basket, I hope I can grab a couple of rebounds for my team. But when it comes to just getting them to get them, I’m not focused on that, I’m focused on getting the ball in the hoop. But, it’s a blessing, this league is tough. If my name can be in the record books in some sort of way, so that’s cool…”
While this can be looked at as a shot at Angel Reese, it likely wasn’t given the different motivations of the players this season. The Chicago Sky were okay to be a tanking team and Reese got maximized opportunities to grow into a franchise cornerstone for the franchise. Wilson’s Aces are chasing a three-peat, so their priorities are in different universes.
Wilson and the Aces will have a tough road in the WNBA Playoffs, but one of the best rewards possible awaits them if they can win the title this season for a successful three-peat.
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