A'ja Wilson wins fifth WNBA MVP, first player to three-peat

A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces won her fifth WNBA MVP award on October 8, receiving 65 of 74 first-place votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Wilson is the first player in league history to win three consecutive MVP awards. Wilson's fifth MVP places her in rare historical company. No other WNBA player has won more than three MVP awards; Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson each won three. In the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with six MVP awards, while Michael Jordan and Bill Russell each won five. She shot 52.9% from the field, a career-best 40.4% from three-point range, and made a personal-high 38 three-pointers. Wilson scored at least 30 points in 13 games, tying the single-season record she established the previous year, and recorded 33 games with at least 20 points. She led the league with 19 double-doubles featuring at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. Wilson's scoring production extended to historic territory. She scored 45 points against Connecticut on May 15, making her the first player in WNBA history with multiple games of at least 45 points. Her career scoring average of 22.1 points per game is the highest in WNBA league history, per Guardian Sport reporting. Wilson climbed from 21st to 11th on the WNBA's all-time scoring list and stands 12 points from overtaking Sue Bird for 10th. The Las Vegas Aces finished the regular season with a 31-13 record and reached the WNBA semi-finals for the eighth consecutive season. The third-seeded Aces are currently trailing Golden State 2-0 in their best-of-five playoff series, with Game 3 hosted in Las Vegas on October 11. Minnesota rookie Olivia Miles finished second in MVP voting with 442 points and six first-place votes. Indiana's Kelsey Mitchell finished third with 287 points, followed by Caitlin Clark with 212 points. New York's Breanna Stewart rounded out the top five with 171 points. Wilson's mother, Eva, presented the trophy, accompanied by Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Aces owner Mark Davis, and team president Nikki Fargas. According to Guardian Sport reporting, Wilson received a voice message from former U.S. vice-president Kamala Harris congratulating her on the fifth MVP.