Whether or not Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson gets her fifth MVP award this year, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said Wilson is already the greatest player in WNBA history. However, Staley clarified that she should win her third straight MVP this season, and if you don't agree, you can "argue with a wall."
"She's already the GOAT. She has done things that no other player has done," Staley, who coached Wilson at South Carolina from 2014 to 2018, told CBS Sports. "This is what, her eighth or ninth year in the league? I don't know how many years. To be the MVP in half of those years, with one in question two years ago? Three years ago? I don't know which one it was."
Staley was referring to 2023, when Wilson controversially finished third behind Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas in the tightest three-way MVP race in WNBA history. That year, Wilson infamously received a fourth-place vote and was not happy about it. Her revenge? Leading the Aces to another WNBA title and wearing a T-shirt featuring the voting breakdown during the championship parade.
Wilson already has the most MVP awards in WNBA history with four, and is the heavy favorite to win again and become the first player in league history to win the award three years in a row.
On her 30th birthday this August, we made a list of her accomplishments so far, which have only grown in the weeks since. She is currently leading the league in points and blocks per game, while also being in the top five in rebounds per game. Her impact on both offense and defense, according to Staley, is what separates her from other MVP candidates.
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"You can argue with a wall. A'ja Wilson is the MVP," Staley said. "She is the best player in the league. Not taking anything away from the great season that Kelsey Mitchell has had. Who else is in the MVP race? Olivia Miles, super great season. On both sides of the ball, there is nobody doing it like A'ja. And you can't discount that.
"You can't just say offense. When you are talking about the MVP and what the outlier is, it's defense. Like, what are they doing? If all things are the same, meaning your contributions, your impact on your team offensively, you need a differentiator. I do think A'ja's defense is the differentiator and the separator."
Wilson has been dealing with some back issues and did not play for Team USA in the World Cup earlier this month because of health concerns. But since the league returned from the FIBA break last week, she has looked unstoppable, averaging 29.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, two steals and 1.5 blocks in the Aces' two wins over the Storm.
Las Vegas, the reigning WNBA champions, is currently third in league standings with a 29-13 overall record, and Wilson leads the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. The Aces finish the season at home against the Sparks on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and on the road against the Mercury on Thursday, Sept. 24, the last day of the regular season.
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