A’ja Wilson made WNBA history on Sunday. The basketball player was named the 2025 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player for the fourth time in her career. She was previously tied with Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson for having received the title three times.
A’ja Wilson’s record-breaking title
Wilson was presented the award by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo. She received a custom-designed Tiffany & Co. trophy, as well as a $15,450 reward.
“Since 2020 when we were in the bubble and I handed you your first one (MVP award), I’ve admired the way you’ve lived, your grace, your humility, your humor,” Engelbert said, according to CNN. “Just one of the greatest players to ever be in this league. A global icon, a global ambassador, not just for our game but all women’s sports and all sports.”
A’ja Wilson also earned the Kia WNBA MVP Award in 2020, 2022 and 2024
This year, she received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Wilson was followed in the rankings by Napheesa Collier, Alyssa Thomas, Allisha Gray and Kelsey Mitchell, according to a press release.
Not only did Wilson break a record by being awarded the title for the fourth time, she is the only WNBA player to reach such high averages in a season.
Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocked shots and 1.6 steals in 31.2 minutes in 40 games. It is the second-best per-game marks of her career. This season, Wilson scored the most points of the season with 937 points and has the highest efficiency rating in the league at 29.2.
