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- Emotional MVP acceptance: A’ja Wilson received the trophy from her mother Eva Wilson and a message from Kamala Harris.
- A’ja Wilson played 36 minutes and led the Aces with 24 points during a 4th-quarter comeback against the Golden State Valkyries.
- Developed at University of South Carolina under Dawn Staley, NCAA champion and decorated collegiate winner, embodying mentorship from family and coaches.
A’ja Wilson has made history by winning the WNBA MVP award a record 5 times since joining the league.
That’s Miss M’VP to you.
The announcement came Thursday afternoon, and during the press conference, A’ja Wilson said she received a message from former Vice President Kamala Harris congratulating her on the accomplishment.
Wilson’s mother, Eva Wilson, presented her with the trophy, and A’ja said she cried a little harder this time.
“I cried a little bit harder, you know. Uh, this one here is just a little bit different. And whatever that may look like or whatever that may feel. Uh, my fifth one, I think, is the one that’s just, you know, when you dream as a young girl, you dream so big, and you write your goals out, and you just never imagine that you were able to just check them off, Wilson said. “And when you’re able to check them off- small wins, big wins- um, it truly means a lot. And so I think that’s why I cried a little bit harder on this one.”
“Because 15-year-old Asia wasn’t sitting up here dreaming about being a five-time MVP. She wasn’t dreaming about being a three-time champion. She was just dreaming about surviving this world,” Wilson continued. “And so for me to sit up here … surrounded by these trophies and to be able to play the game of basketball um, every single day, it just means a little bit more to me, and it’s something that I won’t take for granted.”
Thursday’s announcement followed the Las Vegas Aces’ 4th-quarter comeback against the Golden State Valkyries in Game 2 of their WNBA semifinal series, as they overcame a 17-point deficit and briefly took the lead with 90 seconds left.
The Aces ultimately lost by 2 points, but the bigger story was their comeback. Wilson played 36 minutes and led her team in scoring with 24 points.
The 6’4” center for the Las Vegas Aces came through the Dawn Staley basketball program at the University of South Carolina, where she was the Consensus National Player of the Year during her senior year. Starting in her sophomore year, she was nominated for the Wooden, Naismith, and Wade trophies three years in a row, became a finalist in her sophomore and junior years, and ultimately won all three as a senior. A’ja also won an NCAA championship with the Gamecocks in 2017.
Wilson has shown on and off the court that she is that girl. This latest MVP award is just another acknowledgment that not all kids become goats.
GOATs aren’t just born; they’re raised. Ms. Eva and Mr. Roscoe raised A’ja. Dawn Staley raised A’ja. Becky Hammon raised A’ja.
A’ja was taught to stay hungry, get loud, and to build others up, even if it means knocking them down.
She does all of that on and off the court.
A’ja has stayed confident and stayed humble.
So when we talk about the greatest of all time in women’s basketball, remember the MV’P.
If players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Cynthia Cooper built the league, A’ja Wilson is the realization of their biggest hopes and dreams, and she stands tall in that legacy.
She was born into this and raised for it.
Congratulations, M’VP.
You make us all proud.
SEE ALSO:
Who Ran The WNBA This Week: Indiana Fever Surge, A’ja Wilson Makes History & The Aces Clinch
A’ja Wilson Receives King Center’s 2027 Youth Influencer Award
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