Aces star named unanimous WNBA MVP, wins award for third time

Make it three for A’ja Wilson.

The Aces’ star forward was named WNBA MVP for the third time in her career, the league announced Sunday.

Wilson is the first unanimous MVP since Cynthia Cooper-Dyke won the award for the Houston Comets in 1997 in the WNBA’s first season. She became the fourth three-time winner in league history, joining Lisa Leslie, Lauren Jackson and Sheryl Swoopes.

Wilson took home MVP honors for the first time in 2020. She won the award again in 2022 before leading the Aces to their first WNBA championship.

The team begins its quest for a three-peat Sunday against the Seattle Storm in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.

Wilson earned all 67 first-place votes. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier finished second. New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart — last season’s MVP — was third.

Indiana Fever rookie star Caitlin Clark came in fourth.

This season was Wilson’s greatest to date.

She finished first in the WNBA in points per game (26.9) and blocks per game (2.6). She was also second in rebounds per game (11.9).

In addition, Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a season and set the league record for most rebounds in a season with 451.

Wilson’s incredible campaign included the two highest-scoring games game in the league. She scored 42 points against the Dallas Wings on Aug. 27, then added 41 against the Phoenix Mercury five days later.

Wilson scored at least 20 points in 34 of her 38 games this season (89.5 percent), a WNBA record.

WNBA MVP voting (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th place votes)

1. A'ja Wilson — 67-0-0-0-0

2. Napheesa Collier — 0-66-1-0-0

3. Breanna Stewart — 0-1-52-9-1

4. Caitlin Clark — 0-0-6-26-22

5. Alyssa Thomas — 0-0-2-17-22