The WNBA MVP race had been clear for some time.
A’ja Wilson vs. Breanna Stewart – both former MVPs looking for another piece of hardware.
On Wednesday, the WNBA announced the Las Vegas Aces’ Wilson as the MVP, capping a remarkable season for her and the Aces. Las Vegas advanced to the 2022 WNBA Finals over Stewart’s Seattle Storm less than 24 hours prior to the vote’s reveal.
Here is a breakdown of the voting:
- A’ja Wilson (478 total points, 31 votes for 1st place, 24 votes for 2nd)
- Breanna Stewart (446 total points, 23 votes for 1st place, 28 votes for 2nd)
Under first-year coach Becky Hammon, Wilson led the Aces to the best record in the league at 26-10. The South Carolina product finished the regular season averaging 19.5 points per game (fifth overall) and ranked second in rebounds per game (9.4). Wilson shot a career-best 50.1 percent from the field.
Her efforts on the defensive end – a league-best 1.9 blocks per game on top of 1.4 steals – garnered her Defensive Player of the Year honors. Wilson is the fifth player to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
Stewart led the league in scoring at 21.8 points per game.
Wilson, who won a gold medal with at the Tokyo Olympics with the women’s basketball team, had the most fan votes leading into the 2022 All-Star Game in Chicago and captained her team to a 134-112 victory.
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In 2020, Wilson won her first MVP in the COVID-19 season that was played in Bradenton, Florida, which ended with the Storm sweeping the Aces in the Finals.
During the semifinals against the Storm, Wilson played all but four minutes in the four-game series. Seattle held her to eight points in its Game 1 victory, but over the next three games, Wilson averaged 30.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals.
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
