WNBA: 4-time MVP A'ja Wilson named AP Female Athlete of Year

Las Vegas Aces star center A'ja Wilson was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.

Wilson, the first four-time WNBA MVP in league history, is the second consecutive WNBA player to receive the honor, following Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark in 2024.

Earning the award for the first time in her career, Wilson received 17 votes from a panel of 47 sports journalists from the AP and its member organizations. Tennis standout Aryna Sabalenka finished second with nine votes, while Dallas Wings star Paige Buckers came in third with five.

“It’s an honor when you think about the group of women who have won before,” Wilson said in a phone interview with the AP. “Just to have my name be a part of it, I’m blessed.”

Her recognition continues after Time magazine named her its Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon praised Wilson’s extraordinary achievements.

“The things she’s done on the court have never been done. To me, she’s in a category all her own,” Hammon told the AP. “People always ask who’s on your Mount Rushmore? I’m saying she’s on Everest — there’s nobody up there with her.”

Wilson, 29, led the Aces to finish the regular season on a 16-game winning streak, averaging 26.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game during that stretch. She set a WNBA single-season record with 13 games scoring 30 or more points.

Over 40 games this season, Wilson averaged a league-high 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. She also earned co-Defensive Player of the Year honors alongside Minnesota’s Alanna Smith, ranking second in the league in blocks (92) and third in steals (64). -Field Level Media/Reuters