Aces star Wilson wins record 5th WNBA MVP award

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  Michael VoepelOct 8, 2026, 04:33 PM ET

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  Michael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women's college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women's basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson has won a record fifth WNBA Most Valuable Player award for the 2026 season, becoming the first player in league history to win three straight MVPs, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

Wilson became the first ever WNBA player to average 25 points, 50% shooting and 40% on 3-pointers. Her points per game this season ranked second-best in WNBA history -- only to her own record two years ago, as she continues adding to a legendary pedigree.

Last season, Wilson became the WNBA's first four-time MVP; Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson each won three. Now Wilson has entered even more rarified air among professional team sport athletes in the United States.

The NHL's all-time leader in MVP awards is Wayne Gretzky, who won the Hart Trophy nine times. Barry Bonds (seven) leads MLB players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six) leads the NBA, and Peyton Manning (five) leads the NFL in season MVP awards.

Wilson joins NBA legends Michael Jordan and Bill Russell as five-time MVP winners.

"That is incredible to be listed amongst those names," Wilson told ESPN. "That's basketball royalty. But also, this is the journey. I have to thank everybody. Just being a part of it, it has not been easy. But just to be in [that] list ... It speaks for itself."

Wilson, who also has won the WNBA Finals MVP twice, has three league titles with the Aces: in 2022, 2023 and 2025.

During this regular season, Wilson led the WNBA in scoring average (26.2 PPG), blocks (1.9 BPG), Player Efficiency Rating (32.4) and Win Shares (9.4). She finished fifth in rebounding average (9.4 RPG) and shot 52.7% from the field and 86.4% from the foul line.

She has been at the heart of the Aces since being drafted No. 1 in 2018 out of South Carolina, where she led that program to its first NCAA title in 2017. Wilson's first WNBA season was also her franchise's first in Las Vegas after relocating from San Antonio. That season was the only one in Wilson's WNBA career in which she didn't make the playoffs. The Aces have finished in the top four all eight seasons since.

Wilson, who turned 30 in August, dealt with some back issues that kept her from playing for the U.S. team in the FIBA Women's World Cup in Germany in September. But she played 41 of the Aces' 44 games, averaging 32.0 minutes.

She led the way as the Aces won their last seven games of the regular season, finishing 31-13 and taking the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

"Like I've said, 'Take her off Mount Rushmore, she's Everest.' Now I'm taking her off Everest, and I just have to put her on a different planet," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "You can be a really talented and skilled basketball player and not win as much as she has, and not become individually great as much as she has. She's the most coachable player I've ever been around. There's a reason why she keeps coming back better and better each year."