Kelsey Mitchell finished fifth in the voting for WNBA MVP, but Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham believes that she could have beaten A’ja Wilson and won the award
16:53 ET, 07 Oct 2025Updated 16:53 ET, 07 Oct 2025
Sophie Cunningham believes that Kelsey Mitchell could have been named WNBA MVP(Image: Getty Images)
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has claimed that teammate Kelsey Mitchell could have been named MVP ahead of A’ja Wilson if the team had reached the WNBA Finals.
Wilson made history last month by becoming the first player in league history to be named WNBA MVP on four occasions. The Las Vegas Aces center has dominated the league since she was selected first overall in 2018, winning two WNBA Championships and being named MVP in four of the last six years.
The Aces are closing in on another championship with a 2-0 lead over the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals. Las Vegas was pushed to the limit in the WNBA semifinals against the Fever, and Cunningham believes that more wins could have benefited Mitchell.
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Cunningham has made it clear that she doesn’t want to take anything away from Wilson, but believes that Mitchell could not be stopped this season. “Kelsey is the most selfless, humble human you will ever ever meet,” Cunningham said during the latest episode of her Show Me Something podcast.
“And I think if we would have made it, if we would (have) won and she would have been healthy, she should have been MVP. I’m not taking away from A’ja [Wilson], but nobody, nobody in our entire league could stop Kelsey Mitchell this year.
“And I want to be her biggest fan because she is just, I’m not kidding, the best human that you could possibly ever be around.” Mitchell was Indiana’s leading scorer in 2025, averaging 20.2 points per game.
Cunningham also thinks that Mitchell is the most selfless human being(Image: Getty Images)
She was also one of three Fever players to play all 44 WNBA games, and her 31.4-minute average was the highest on the roster. Mitchell also averaged 3.4 assists and 1.8 rebounds.
Mitchell was also Indiana’s leading scorer in the postseason, but her body gave out in Game 5 of the WNBA Semifinals. Mitchell suffered extreme cramping during the third quarter of the decisive series game, and the Fever lost 107-98 to Las Vegas in overtime.
Indiana was on the verge of a stunning run to the Finals, despite missing Caitlin Clark for the majority of the season. Cunningham also suffered a season-ending injury, but the Fever continued to battle and flex their roster strength.
A’ja Wilson has won the WNBA MVP Award four times in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025(Image: Getty)
Despite Cunningham’s suggestion that Mitchell should have been in the MVP running, she finished fifth in the voting. Ahead of her were Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, and MVP-winner Wilson.
Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The Aces star averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocked shots, and 1.6 steals in 31.2 minutes in 40 games.
The Las Vegas center scored the most points (937) and had the highest efficiency rating (29.2) in the WNBA during the regular season. The Aces finished 30-14 during the regular season, giving Las Vegas the No. 2 seed.
The Fever were 24-20 this season, which means they were the No. 6 seed heading into the playoffs. Mitchell was a key reason for Indiana reaching the postseason, but her efforts weren’t enough to win the MVP award.