Over the weekend, Aces center A’ja Wilson was named WNBA MVP for a record-breaking fourth time. No player in WNBA history had been named MVP more than three times, until now.
Lynx star Napheesa Collier was the favorite to win MVP for much of the season, but after Collier missed multiple weeks due to injury, Wilson emerged as a frontrunner and won the award. She led the league in scoring, averaging 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game on her way to the historic MVP win.
While no other WNBA player has won as many MVP awards as Wilson, there are seven other players that have on MVP multiple times in their careers.
Here’s a look at every other multi-time WNBA winner:
Since Wilson stands alone as the WNBA’s only four-time MVP, here’s a comparison of her four MVP seasons.
Year
Team Record
Stats
Other Accolades
Won the WNBA Finals?
2020
18-4
20.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.0 APG
All-WNBA First Team
No, lost WNBA Finals
2022
26-10
19.5 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 2.1 APG
Defensive Player of the Year
Yes
2024
27-13
26.9 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.3 APG
Broke the WNBA single-season scoring record
No, lost WNBA semifinals
2025
30-14
23.4 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 3.1 APG
Defensive Player of the Year
TBD
Player
Team
MVP Years
Sheryl Swoopes
Houston Comets
2000, 2002, 2005
Lisa Leslie
Los Angeles Sparks
2001, 2004, 2006
Lauren Jackson
Seattle Storm
2003, 2007, 2010
By winning her fourth MVP award, Wilson broke a tie with Hall of Famers Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson for the most MVP awards in a WNBA player’s career. Swoopes, Leslie and Jackson practically all traded turns winning MVP between 2000-10, with the trio claiming every MVP in that span except for in 2008 (Candace Parker) and 2009 (Diana Taurasi).
Their success was not limited to the regular season either. The trio combined for eight WNBA championships over their careers, including three during years that they also won MVP.
Player
Team
MVP Years
Cynthia Cooper
Houston Comets
1997, 1998
Candace Parker
Los Angeles Sparks
2008, 2013
Elena Delle Donne
Chicago Sky/Washington Mystics
2015, 2019
Breanna Stewart
Seattle Storm/New York Liberty
2018, 2023
The WNBA’s first MVP-winner, Cynthia Cooper, claimed the award in consecutive seasons in the first two years of the league. She and Wilson are the only players to win the award in back-to-back seasons. Cooper also helped the Comets win four consecutive WNBA championships from 1997-2000, and she won WNBA Finals MVP during each of those title victories.
Candace Parker is still the only rookie to also win the league MVP award, doing so in 2008 when she averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. The Sparks star would claim her second MVP five years later in 2013.
Outside of Wilson, Elena Delle Donne and Breanna Stewart are the most recent multi-time MVP winners. Delle Donne is one of just two WNBA players in the 50-40-90 club, achieving this feat in 2019 when she won her second MVP. Stewart is the lone player outside of Wilson to win MVP in the last four seasons, claiming her second such trophy in 2023.
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