Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson won her fifth WNBA Most Valuable Player award on Thursday, tying the league record and further cementing her place among the sport's greatest players. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert presented Wilson with the trophy Thursday afternoon, hours before the Aces were set to host Game 3 of their playoff series.
Wilson, 29, said the latest honor feels different from the previous four, coming as it does in the middle of a postseason run rather than at a standalone awards event.
"This one here is just a little bit different," Wilson said Thursday afternoon, moments after Engelbert handed her the trophy.
The bigger news for the Aces may be what Wilson plans to do next. She said she will not participate in any pregame ceremony honoring the award before Game 3, choosing instead to go through her normal warmup routine with teammates.
"I love the fans, but I will not be doing that," Wilson said. "I will be warming up with my team. ... Everyone in this room knows how much of a competitor I am [and] what my main focus is."
Wilson's decision reflects the stakes of the series. The Aces enter Game 3 looking to take control of the matchup, and their star has made clear she views the playoff run as the priority over individual recognition.
The fifth MVP ties Wilson with Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie, who each won the award four times, and moves her within one of the all-time record. Wilson has now won the award in five of the past seven seasons, a stretch of dominance unmatched in the modern WNBA era.
Wilson averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game during the regular season, leading the league in scoring for the third consecutive year. She also anchored a Las Vegas defense that finished in the top three in defensive rating.
The Aces have won two championships during Wilson's tenure, in 2022 and 2023, and are chasing a third. Her decision to forgo the ceremony how narrowly she and the team are focused on that goal.
Game 3 tips off Thursday night in Las Vegas. Wilson is expected to play her usual minutes after completing her standard pregame warmup with the team.
