“Excellence personified. A’ja Wilson is your 2024 @Kia MVP.” The WNBA announced yesterday that A’ja Wilson has joined the 3x MVP club after having undivided votes choosing her in first place for the honor. While the Las Vegas Aces forward has celebrated this achievement twice before, this year’s unanimous win holds a special significance following last season’s disappointment. Now, Wilson herself opened up on how she overcame that setback, emerging stronger and more focused than ever.

Shortly after the MVP announcement, A’ja Wilson took the stage at a press conference, where WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert kicked things off by congratulating her. Wilson then grabbed the mic to engage with the media, who were eager to discuss her record-breaking performance and standout season. Among the many questions, one reporter asked her to reflect on her motivation after last year’s major setback.

To that, the 3x MVP responded, “I’m just like you know what get out my feelings like get put put in the work Asia uh make people leave no doubt about who you are and who you want to be in this league and I think that is kind of what’s the turning point for me uh where yeah I harped on it a little bit but at some point it’s kind of like all right a give it up like ‘stop being sensitive‘ it is what it is.”

It’s clear that Wilson’s drive to stay motivated truly paid off. She received a remarkable 100% of the first-place votes from a 67-member voting panel. This achievement makes her only the second player in WNBA history to claim the MVP award unanimously, following Cynthia Cooper, who accomplished this feat during the league’s inaugural season in 1997.

The 2x WNBA champ also stated, “I think once I did that, and I started to tap into this mode of like no I need to be great not just for myself but for my team uh that’s what kind of just got the season that we had today um so yeah I mean it was really one of those things where I I used it as fuel.” While Wilson has truly set a benchmark with record-breaking performances, the year’s voting was a huge disappointment that didn’t go in her favor.

A’ja Wilson’s last year MVP disappointment

A’ja Wilson has dominated the stat sheets this season, leading the league in points, rebounds, and blocks. In contrast, last year, she only topped the blocks category, finishing second or third in both rebounds and points. Her scoring average of 22.8 points per game paled in comparison to this year’s impressive 26.9. Well, this was a key factor that ultimately kept the MVP award just out of her reach last season.

When the MVP voting results were announced, New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart took the top spot with 446 points, followed closely by Alyssa Thomas at 439. Meanwhile, A’ja Wilson, the defending WNBA champion, landed in third place, just 13 points shy of Stewart. Although Wilson received 17 first-place votes, it was surprising to see that she was the only player in the top three with a vote for fourth place.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the MVP award, Wilson displayed incredible resilience. She even revealed that she knows who voted her fourth and playfully trolled them during the Aces’ 2023 championship parade. Sporting a shirt that highlighted her MVP votes, Wilson made it clear that she’s not just a fierce competitor, but also someone who can take setbacks in stride with a sense of humor.

“It gave me a little boost as I kicked off my offseason workouts, but by February, I was over it,” Wilson shared, reflecting on her journey to becoming a three-time MVP, joining the ranks of legends like Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Lauren Jackson. Now, her focus is clear: she’s determined to lead her team to a three-peat. With a winning mentality firmly in place, she’s already on the court taking on the Seattle Storm in their first-round battle.