Frontrunners Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson are among the finalists in a hotly contested MVP race that the the WNBA announced Friday.
Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, Dream guard Allisha Gray and Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell round out the five finalists for the award. But the race is largely projected as a two-woman contest between Collier and Wilson.
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Collier, a five-time All-Star and two-time All-WNBA selection for the Minnesota Lynx, is seeking her first MVP. Wilson, a two-time champion, seven-time All-Star and five-time All-WNBA selection for the Las Vegas Aces, is seeking her fourth.
Wilson’s three MVPs are tied for the most all-time with Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson. If she prevails again, she’ll stand alone as the WNBA’s most decorated MVP.
A’ja Wilson, left, surged into the MVP race after Napheesa Collier emerged midseason as the clear frontrunner.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The case for Collier
Collier emerged as the standalone frontrunner as she led the Lynx to the WNBA’s best record. Coming off a trip to the 2024 WNBA Finals, the Lynx separated themselves from the rest of the league’s top teams as they raced out to a 20-4 record at the All-Star break. They entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
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Collier is the primary reason why. A force on both sides of the court, Collier averaged 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 53.1% from the floor.
She had a breakout season from long distance, while averaging 40.3% on a career-high 3.8 attempts per game. Her 30.2 player efficiency rating (PER) was the second-best in the league.
With Collier on the floor, the Lynx performed well against the league’s top competition, posting a 3-1 record against the Aces, Mercury and a Liberty team that edged them in last season’s WNBA Finals. The Dream (2-1) were the only team to win their season series against the Lynx.
A late-season ankle sprain sidelined Collier, who missed 11 of Minnesota’s 44 games. But she returned to close the season strong and led the Lynx into the playoffs as title favorites. For proponents of the philosophy that the best player on the best team is the MVP, Collier is the winner.
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The case for Wilson
For much of the season, the Aces were an afterthought among title contenders. As was Wilson’s MVP candidacy. That all changed following a 111-58 drubbing at the hands of Collier’s Lynx on Aug. 2. The loss dropped the Aces to 14-14, at risk of not making the playoffs.
Las Vegas didn’t lose again in the regular season. Led by Wilson, the Aces finished the season on a 16-0 tear to surge toward the top of the standings. That streak included a 97-87 win over the Lynx on Sept. 4. They finished tied with the Dream for the second-best record in the league and entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed behind Minnesota.
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Wilson’s renewal of her MVP form led the late-season surge. For the season, Wilson averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals per game as a two-way force in the post. She shot 50.5% from the field and a career-high 42.4% on 1.5 3-point attempts per game.
Wilson led the league in points and blocks per game and finished second in rebounding average to Angel Reese. Wilson’s 33.4 PER was the only mark higher than Collier’s 30.2. An elite defender, she won her third Defensive Player of the Year award on Thursday in a split vote with Alanna Smith.
It adds up to compelling race at the top of the MVP ballot and one that very well could be relitigated in the WNBA Finals.
