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While a ceremony marking her latest historic achievement will take place on Friday night, A’ja Wilson wants no part of it.<\/b><\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But recent history means Wilson has no interest in joining the celebrations which will be held on her behalf.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
They also lost heavily following similar celebrations after receiving their championship rings in May.<\/p>\n
Before a must-win third game in their best-of-five semi-final against the Golden State Valkyries, Wilson is taking no chances.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
No other WNBA player has won more than three MVP awards.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“I’ve said [before] ‘Take her off Mount Rushmore, she’s Everest,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. <\/p>\n
“Now, I’m taking her off Everest and I just have to put her on a different planet.”<\/p>\n
Wilson, who received 65 of 74 first-place votes, received a voice message from former vice-president Kamala Harris delivering the news.<\/p>\n
Despite her extensive list of honours, Wilson was very emotional after receiving her latest MVP award on the Aces’ practice court.<\/p>\n
“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<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Wilson averaged 26.2 points to lead the league in scoring for the third straight season.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n