Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson extended her own WNBA record by winning her fifth MVP Award. She is now the first player in the league’s 30-year history to win the MVP Award five times and the first to “three-peat,” winning the honor in three consecutive seasons. 

While the Aces aren’t headed to the WNBA Finals this year, we can’t wrap up the 2026 WNBA season without celebrating the GOAT and giving A’ja her flowers for an absolutely massive milestone.

Here’s what you should know about the dynamic greatness of A’ja Wilson.

🏀 ON THE COURT: A’ja is the GOAT. Period.

• Five MVPs. Three straight. A’ja won in 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, and 2026. No other WNBA player has won more than three, and no one else has been MVP in three straight years. 

• Her résumé speaks for itself. Three WNBA championships, two Finals MVP Awards, three Defensive Player of the Year Awards, and eight All-Star selections. 

• She keeps raising her own bar. In 2026, A’ja averaged 26.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, leading the league in scoring for the third consecutive season and in blocks for the fifth straight season. She now holds the highest career scoring average in WNBA history: 22.1 points per game.

• Greatness goes where A’ja goes. A’ja helped South Carolina win its first NCAA championship in 2017, then won Olympic gold with Team USA in Tokyo and Paris. She was also named MVP of the 2024 Olympic women’s basketball tournament. 

• She’s helped build Las Vegas into a women’s basketball powerhouse. Drafted No. 1 overall in 2018, A’ja has spent her entire WNBA career with the Aces. Her sustained excellence gives the franchise a star fans can build a lasting connection with and sponsors a compelling reason to invest.

💼 OFF THE COURT: Her Influence Extends (So) Far Beyond Basketball.

• She’s a bestselling author. A’ja’s 2024 book, Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You, became a New York Times bestseller. Through stories about identity, racism, confidence, and growing up, she’s using her platform to help Black girls feel seen.

• The A’One turned fan connection into consumer demand. A’ja became the first Black WNBA player with a new signature shoe since Candace Parker in 2011. The A’One, her first Nike signature basketball shoe, launched in May 2025; the debut Pink A’ura release sold out online within minutes, and the A'Twos are now seeing incredible success. A’ja’s Nike collection also includes a full apparel line.

• She founded the A’ja Wilson Foundation with her parents to support children and families navigating dyslexia through educational programs, workshops, and camps.

• She’s also an entrepreneur. A’ja launched Burnt Wax Candle Company alongside her mother, Eva, in 2021. The brand connects her love of candles with a message about rest and protecting your peace. Proceeds from every purchase go towards the A’ja Wilson Foundation. 

• Major brands are banking on A’ja. Her brand partnerships include Nike, AT&T, Chase, Google, Booking.com, Gatorade, Ruffles, Mountain Dew, Lowe’s, Panini America, Secret Deodorant, plus many more. 

• Her greatness is earning recognition across sports. A’ja was named TIME’s Athlete of the Year and the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for 2025.

• Oh, and she’s also been the face of the Breakfast of Champions. In 2026, A’ja landed on a limited-edition Wheaties box. 

 

The Takeaway?

A’ja is not only the GOAT — she’s also big business. Need we say more?

 

MEET CAROLINE FITZGERALD