A’ja Wilson makes AP history with third consecutive WNBA Player of the Year award

A’ja Wilson makes AP history with third consecutive WNBA Player of the Year award A’ja Wilson added another milestone to her résumé Sunday, earning The Associated Press’ WNBA Player of the Year award for the third consecutive season. Wilson received 15 of 17 first‑place votes from the AP’s national media panel, finishing ahead of Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles and Indiana Fever guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. The awards were announced as the WNBA playoffs began Sunday, with the honor bestowed on the Las Vegas Aces center, marking her fourth overall AP Player of the Year distinction and moving her past Breanna Stewart for the most such awards since the honor was introduced in 2016. Wilson again led the league in scoring, averaging 26.2 points per game while shooting about 53% from the field. She also posted 9.4 rebounds, a career‑high 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. Wilson’s production helped the Aces secure the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. In an interview Wilson said, “It’s big. It’s an award for me to do it 3 times in a row. It’s not easy. My counterparts in this league are truly good. I don’t take it lightly because of how much talent we do have in this league.” While Wilson retained the top individual offensive honor, Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese took the AP Defensive Player of the Year award, ending Wilson’s streak after she had won the defensive award three of the previous four seasons. Reese ranked among the league leaders in steals and finished first in rebounding for the third consecutive year, averaging 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, according to the AP award results. Her debut season with Atlanta also included league records for single‑game rebounds and offensive rebounds, further highlighting her impact on the glass. The AP’s other major honors included Olivia Miles as a unanimous Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark as Comeback Player of the Year, Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve as Coach of the Year, Dallas forward Jessica Shepard as Most Improved Player and Golden State forward Janelle Salaün as Sixth Woman of the Year. Editorial credit: Keeton Gale / Shutterstock.com