Stats as of September 4, 2024

With the conclusion of the WNBA season upon us, it's time to reflect on the outstanding performances throughout the league. What makes someone the Kia Most Valuable Player of the WNBA? There isn't a cookie-cutter and finite answer: It changes depending on the season, who's doing what, and how they do it.

It's worth noting how MVP voting works. Voters do not vote for just one player for MVP; they submit a Top 5 list ranked in order of voters' MVP placement. This accounts for a points system that decides the MVP race. A first-place vote is worth ten points, 2nd place is worth seven points, 3rd place is worth five points, 4th place is worth three points, and a 5th place vote is worth one point. All the points are accumulated and added up, making it crucial to secure a first-place vote and as many points as possible in voting.

The Kia MVP is about all-around impact. Winning matters and should factor in. While wins are not a solitary stat, the MVP conversation is supposed to be selective: this is the highest individual achievement one can earn in basketball!

1. A’ja Wilson

Last season, Wilson had the best season of her career, setting career highs as a scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker while continuing to refine her game. 2023 was the most efficient season of her career.

Last year felt like a pinnacle, one of the great seasons in WNBA history. She has shattered that this year, which is hard to comprehend. The two-time MVP has improved every season, but she has taken an unprecedented step forward this season, including two 40+ point outings this past week.

Wilson is averaging 27.5 points per game, comfortably leading the league. For reference, Diana Taurasi set the league record for scoring average in a season in 2006, scoring 25.3 points per contest. The only player in league history to average a 20 & 10 points/rebounds double-double or better while shooting over 50% from the field was Sylvia Fowles in 2011, per Her Hoop Stats. Wilson is scoring 7.5 more points per game and corralling almost two more boards while playing nearly identical minutes per game.

Everything isn't just raw stats; the production is felt in her play. The Aces have not played to their standard this season but have already clinched a postseason appearance primarily due to Wilson's heavy lifting, and that's dramatically mattered as they've started to round into play.

2. Napheesa Collier

Collier and the Lynx have put together a dominant start after the break, including two convincing wins over the Aces with her standout play. The arguments for Collier as the league's MVP are gaining steam.

Versatility is incredibly valued in modern basketball, and understandably so. However, versatility matters most when it can be repeatedly and practically applied. Napheesa Collier has embodied that this season, excelling in nearly every game category.

Her defense with Alanna Smith has set the tone for one of the most impressive one-year defensive turnarounds I've enjoyed watching. It's one thing to go from bad to good on defense. It's another way to take a team from bad to elite, and it's the best defense in the WNBA. Collier is phenomenal at attacking gaps and passing lanes with her length and timing while strong guarding multiple positions. 

She's third in the league in steals per game and tied for eighth in blocks per game, averaging 3.2 combined steals and blocks, behind only the aforementioned Wilson and Ezi Magbegor.
Collier's impact cannot be underscored, as the Minnesota Lynx are also on pace to break the league record for assist rate in a season. She's dynamic in pick-and-roll in all facets, capable of popping, rolling, and handling herself. She can post up and attack mismatches. She can isolate. She can come off screens. Doing all that effectively and moving the ball quickly and to the right places when she sees a better opportunity for a teammate is easier said than done.

3. Sabrina Ionescu

July 10th's matchup with the Sun is the most significant indicator of Sabrina Ionescu's growth. In the final minute of the game, a slugfest in the late 4th quarter, Ionescu races down the court off a rebound, Sun star Alyssa Thomas stapled to her all the way.
We've seen this story multiple times over the past few seasons. Even though the Liberty have had the Sun's number, Ionescu has struggled to handle ball pressure and Thomas' ability to swarm in their matchups.

In this particular game, however, Sabrina is composed. She looks for an early offense, sees nothing, and keeps her dribble alive for 10 seconds before drawing a ball screen in the middle of the floor. She gets DeWanna Bonner on a switch, reverses back to attack the paint, puts Bonner on her hip, and hits a fallaway floater to seal the game with 4 seconds left. Liberty wins.

Ionescu had the floater in college, but it has blossomed into a legitimate weapon for her this season as a pro. She's slowed down as a ballhandler, allowing screens to set up, better utilizing them and improving her patience. Keeping her dribble alive regularly and using screens to gain space has allowed her to become a true 3-level scorer and handle more responsibilities as a point guard. She's come up huge in the clutch and has been an absolute difference-maker for New York.

4. Breanna Stewart 

While Stewart's shot from deep hasn't been as reliable as it typically is (Career 36.6% three-point shooter prior to 2024-25), it's a testament to the rest of her all-around game that she's still right in the thick of another First Team All-WNBA nod. Sabrina Ionescu's consistency and late-game heroics have been pivotal for the Liberty. However, Stewart's ability to slot into a slightly different role while still being elite has been key for New York's best season in franchise history.

Her 26.4% usage rate is the lowest since her rookie season, but that's unlocked other aspects of her game. Already one of the most versatile and well-rounded players in the world, the reigning MVP has been utilized more in attacking off the catch and off the ball this season. Stewart is shooting 45% on drives per Synergy Sports, which is the best mark of her career. Creating more opportunities where defenses can't automatically load up on her has been a boon to her efficiency and ability to keep things humming offensively, getting to the free-throw line at the highest rate since 2017.

Defensively, Stewart has reigned supreme for a vastly improved New York defense. For reference, the Liberty has the best defensive rating in the league since the start of July, allowing only 92.9 points per 100 possessions over the past 15 games. An elite defender on the backline, on switches, and in isolation, Stewart's two-way versatility has the Liberty primed for a deep run.

5. Alyssa Thomas

It's not easy to follow up on one of the most impressive seasons the league has seen, but Thomas has done so admirably. While Thomas is not scoring with quite the same volume she did last season, that's partially out of necessity. Brionna Jones is back and thriving. DiJonai Carrington has emerged as a viable All-Star candidate. Every starter on the Sun is a double-digit scorer, the only team in the WNBA to meet that mark.

Thomas is the straw that stirs the drink in Connecticut, an elite facilitator and decision-maker, quite literally the engine of the Sun.

To add some context, Synergy Sports has a statistic called points per possessions + assists, which gauges total efficiency when including a player's scoring and the baskets they create from their passing. Out of 41 players in the league who have used at least 300 offensive possessions, Thomas ranks 2nd, generating 1.354 points per possession when she scores or assists a shot. In other words, she creates efficient offense routinely and on high volume, which matters when looking at her best attribute on the offensive end: her passing.
Defensively, Thomas continues to elevate the Sun as one of the stalwart teams in the league. She can defend the perimeter and post, play aggressively off the ball, defend in every type of coverage, and be a nonstop headache for offenses.

Honorable Mentions

Two additional players have been on a rampage this season and could play themselves further into the MVP race.

6. Caitlin Clark

While the Fever underwent understandable woes in the first month of the season, Indiana is 14-6 over their last 20 games, including two massive wins coming out of the All-Star Break. Clark has found a synergy with her teammates and an elite comfort on the floor as a facilitator and creator. She's knocking on the door of First Team All-W and a Top 5 finish in MVP voting.

7. Kahleah Copper

Copper has taken the full-on leap into MVP range this season, exploding as a pick-and-roll creator. She is having the most efficient season of her career as a pick-and-roll creator, in the 76th percentile as a scorer per Synergy Sports. Her clutch time numbers are off the charts, and they are a key aspect of why this newly assembled group is in the playoff mix.

WNBA reporter Mark Schindler writes columns on WNBA.com throughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at @MG_Schindler. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams.