While a ceremony marking her latest historic achievement will take place on Friday night, A’ja Wilson wants no part of it.
The 30-year-old Las Vegas Aces star stands peerless after becoming the first five-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) in WNBA history, and was informed of her unprecedented third-straight award by a former US vice-president.
But recent history means Wilson has no interest in joining the celebrations which will be held on her behalf.
When the Aces held a pre-game ceremony to honour Wilson last year, as is tradition for the MVP winner, they went on to lose game one of their play-off semi-final.
They also lost heavily following similar celebrations after receiving their championship rings in May.
Before a must-win third game in their best-of-five semi-final against the Golden State Valkyries, Wilson is taking no chances.
“I love the fans, but I will not be doing that,” she said. “I will be warming up with my team. Everyone knows how much of a competitor I am [and] what my main focus is.”
No other WNBA player has won more than three MVP awards.
Having also won in 2020 and 2022, Wilson joins NBA legends Michael Jordan and Bill Russell as five-time MVP winners. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six.
“I’ve said [before] ‘Take her off Mount Rushmore, she’s Everest,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said.
“Now, I’m taking her off Everest and I just have to put her on a different planet.”
Wilson, who received 65 of 74 first-place votes, received a voice message from former vice-president Kamala Harris delivering the news.
Despite her extensive list of honours, Wilson was very emotional after receiving her latest MVP award on the Aces’ practice court.
“When you dream as a young girl, you dream so big and you write your goals out and you just never imagine you will be able to check them off,” Wilson said
“I think that’s why I cried a little bit harder on this one because 15-year-old A’ja wasn’t sitting up here dreaming about being a five-time MVP, she wasn’t dreaming about being a three-time champion, she was dreaming about surviving this world.”
Wilson averaged 26.2 points to lead the league in scoring for the third straight season.
An eight-time All-Star, she registered at least 20 points in 33 games – the third-highest single-season streak in WNBA history, and tied her own WNBA single-season record of scoring at least 30 points in 13 games.
Wilson has won three league titles with the Aces – achieved in the past four years – but they face elimination in this year’s semi-finals as they trail Golden State 2-0.
