A’ja Wilson: WNBA MVP and record-setting season

By Tim ReynoldsThe Associated Press

A’ja Wilson’s numbers in 2025 were like none other.

Nobody in the history of the WNBA — or the NBA, for that matter — has put together a season like the one Wilson did for the Las Vegas Aces this year.

She won the WNBA’s MVP award. Won the scoring title. Helped her team win a championship. Was the WNBA Finals MVP.

All that has been done in the same season before on the NBA level, most recently when Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pulled off the feat this past season. Michael Jordan did all that four times, while Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it once.

But they never did it while also reigning as the NBA’s defensive player of the year. Wilson shared that award in the WNBA this season with Minnesota’s Alanna Smith. And that makes her 2025 resume unprecedented.

“I think greatness is …” Wilson said after the Aces beat the Phoenix Mercury to finish off a four-game sweep of the WNBA Finals on Friday night.

That’s when she got interrupted by Aces coach Becky Hammon.

“A’ja Wilson,” Hammon said.

There’s no question: Wilson’s numbers are greatness. And having accomplishments mentioned alongside the likes of Jordan seemed to blow Wilson away.

“It’s powerful, it really is,” Wilson said. “I still have a little more winning to do before you put me in the conversation with him, but when you’re compared to greats, when you’re compared to legends, that means you’re doing something right, and I am so grateful.”

A look inside the numbers, as Wilson continues cementing her status as one of the game’s all-time greats:

5 years, 6 titles

Consider this: Wilson has been a champion in each of the last five years — with six titles in that span.

She was part of the U.S. team that won gold at the Tokyo Olympics that were played in 2021, then captured a WNBA title and a World Cup gold medal in 2022, another WNBA title in 2023, another gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and now a WNBA title this season.

A stat line for all time

Wilson had 31 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots and two steals in the title-clinching game on the night of Oct. 10.

There have been only five games in WNBA history where someone did all that in one game. Candace Parker did it twice. Wilson did it the other three times.

It had never been done in the WNBA playoffs before Friday night.

Also, Wilson moved past Parker for No. 3 on the WNBA’s all-time playoff scoring list with her 31 points on Oct. 10. Wilson (who also passed Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings on that list Oct. 10) has 1,171 points in her playoff career, 22 more than Parker and 30 more than Catchings.

The only ones left for Wilson to catch on the playoff scoring list: Diana Taurasi (1,486) and DeWanna Bonner (1,291).

A record-setting season … again

Granted, seasons are longer now. But for the third straight year, Wilson set WNBA records for total points and total rebounds when counting both regular-season and playoff games.

She had 1,126 points in 2023, then 1,149 points in 2024 — and this year, 1,259 points.

The only other players with more than 1,000 points in a full season are New York’s Breanna Stewart (1,103 in 2023) and Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell (1,068 this season).

Wilson had 486 rebounds in 2023, 509 rebounds in 2024 and 527 this season. Stewart had 473 rebounds in 2023.

And Wilson finished the regular season averaging 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds. She is the first player in WNBA history to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds twice; three other players have done it once.

And some playoff records

Wilson had 114 points in this season’s WNBA Finals, a record. The previous mark: 110 by Phoenix’s Cappie Pondexter in 2007. Wilson played four games in these finals while Pondexter’s record came in a five-game series.

Wilson is now up to 336 points in WNBA Finals games, the third most in league history behind a pair of Hall of Famers — Maya Moore (441 in 25 games) and Seimone Augustus (362 in 25 games). Wilson has played 15 finals games.

Wilson’s totals of 322 points and 120 rebounds in this year’s playoffs are both WNBA records as well. The previous marks: 285 points by Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier last season and 116 rebounds by New York’s Jonquel Jones in 2023 (she played 10 games, Wilson played 12).

Wilson had five 30-point games in this season’s playoffs, the most in any WNBA postseason. The previous record was three, set by Wilson in 2023.

All before 30, too

Wilson doesn’t turn 30 until next August.

No player in WNBA history has more total points (including playoffs) before turning 30 than Wilson, who is up to 6,890. Lauren Jackson had 6,223 before turning 30, which was the pre-30 mark before Wilson came along. (When factoring regular season only, Jackson remains No. 1 with 5,757 points, just ahead of Wilson’s 5,719.)

Wilson also has more rebounds before turning 30 — again, counting playoffs — than any other WNBA player. Tina Charles had 2,884 in regular-season games before turning 30, while Wilson is now at 2,495. But when adding in playoffs, Wilson is up to 3,039, just ahead of Charles’ 3,025.

This article was originally published by The Associated Press.