Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) waves to fans after the team’s 78-73 win over the Seattle Storm during Game 2 of a WNBA playoff semifinal series at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022.
Published Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022 | 12:29 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022 | 2:08 p.m.
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Becky Hammon knew since Saturday that A'ja Wilson was named the WNBA's Most Valuable Player. Maybe it was a good thing she didn't say anything until after the Las Vegas Aces reached the WNBA Finals.
Wilson's performance in the league semifinals enforced the fact that she deserved to win her second MVP, and the league made that official Wednesday with the Aces forward receiving the league's top honor of the 2022 season.
It's the second time in three years Wilson has been named MVP. She won it for the 2020 season that was held in a bubble in Bradenton, Florida due to the pandemic.
"Just winning this award is epic. It's insane I've won it twice," Wilson said. "It's truly a blessing. Our league is hard. It's full of elite, great players. For my name to be there, it's a blessing."
Out of a panel of 56 voters, Wilson received 31 first-place votes and 478 points. Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart, who won the award in 2018, finished a close second (446) and received 23 first-place votes.
Aces teammate Kelsey Plum finished third in the MVP voting, and point guard Chelsea Gray received one of the remaining first place votes.
"It's all about sacrifice. We gave up so much for each other," Wilson said about Plum, who led the Aces in scoring at 20.2 points per game and was the All-Star Game MVP this year. "I think we have something going on that's very special in Vegas. It takes a lot off me to know I'm surrounded by elite players that are going to bring it every night, not just because it's their job, but because they want to win. I'm thankful to be her teammate."
Wilson has always been complimentary to the players that came before her. She became the fifth player ever to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, and the first since Lauren Jackson in 2007.
The others include Yolanda Griffith (1999), Sheryl Swoopes (2000, 2002) and Lisa Leslie (2004). Those four are enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
"Those women laid the foundation for me, players like myself, for a lot of women in this league to do what we do and love what we do," Wilson said. "For my name to be added to that, fresh out of my rookie contract, it's something so big and I won't take it for granted."
Wilson, at 26 years old is the seventh player in league history to be named MVP multiple times.
The former No. 1 pick from 2018 in her fifth WNBA season with Las Vegas, Wilson averaged 19.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game to help lead the Aces to a league-best 26-10 record. Wilson and the Aces advanced to the WNBA Finals on Tuesday after defeating the Storm in four games in the league's semifinals.
After scoring just 8 points in Game 1, Wilson responded in MVP form with back-to-back 30-point, 10-rebound double-doubles in Games 2 and 3. She had 23 points and 13 rebounds in the close-out Game 4.
The Aces will face either the Chicago Sky or Connecticut Sun in the finals. Game 1 of the series is Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena.
Wilson's latest honor caps off a sweep of the yearly awards for the Aces. Hammon was named the league's Coach of the Year, and guard Jackie Young was the WNBA's Most Improved Player in 2022.
The only thing remaining is bringing the first championship to the franchise.
"I don't like being satisfied. I'm never satisfied for what I've done in this league," Wilson said. "I want to be down as one of the greats, not just frequently shown in record books, but seen a lot. Because I feel like I put myself in the best situation to do that, so I work my butt off to make sure my name can be in rooms and have a seat at that table."
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
