This past season, A'Ja Wilson has built a solid case for why she deserves her record-setting fifth WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, and her recent award win seems to provide further evidence. On Sunday, the announced awards for the WNBA season, with Wilson named the AP WNBA Player of the Year for 2026. It was the third straight time Wilson won this specific award, breaking a tie with the New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart for the most wins.
Other awards included Angel Reese winning AP Defensive Player of the Year and Olivia Miles winning AP Rookie of the Year. The AP All-WNBA Team featured Wilson, Miles, Stewart, and the Indiana Fever's Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. All of these may be strong indicators that these players will be named as corresponding WNBA award winners.
Wilson has been the top MVP contender for a while, with Reese considered the strong favorite for DPOY and Miles the favorite for WNBA Rookie of the Year. More news: A’ja Wilson Goes Viral for Knocking Down Arena Worker Ahead of WNBA Playoffs “It’s big. It’s an honor for me to do it three times in a row.
My counterparts in this league are really good. I don’t take it lightly because of how much talent we do have in this league," Wilson said during a phone interview, per AP. This past season, Wilson averaged 26.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game.
She finished first in scoring and blocks and fifth in rebounding, and helped lead the Aces to a 31-13 record. With that record, the Aces became the No. 3 seed in the WNBA Playoffs, with their first-round series against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever beginning today. Las Vegas is the reigning champion and is looking to defend that title this postseason, but Miles and the Lynx have the top record and the No. 1 seed.
Minnesota remains the favorite to win the championship, with other contenders, including Reese's Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries, also looming. Having Wilson on the court always makes the Aces a tough opponent. She took time away from playing for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup earlier this month, which may have helped give her an edge for the postseason.
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