Gamecock great and national champion A’ja Wilson wins her second WNBA MVP
Former South Carolina women’s basketball player A’ja Wilson won her second WNBA MVP, the league announced on Wednesday.
Wilson beat out Breanna Stewart for the award, receiving 478 total votes (31 first place votes) to Stewart’s 446 (23 first place votes).
Wilson averaged 19.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in the regular season, helping lead the Las Vegas Aces to a tied-for-league-best 26-10 record.
The former Gamecock was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year last week, the fifth player in league history to win both awards in the same season.
Wilson and the Aces clinched their berth to the WNBA Finals on Tuesday after beating the Seattle Storm in four games.
Her collegiate head coach, Dawn Staley, campaigned for her to win over the last several weeks and hopped on Twitter to congratulate Wilson.
“I’m so so so so proud of you!” Staley wrote. “2 time @WNBA MVP! Talk to her nice. GOD IS GREAT!!!”
Wilson said that her relationship with Staley post-college has been strong, stating that they try to talk at least once a week.
“That’s my second mom,” Wilson said. “She’s my therapist, she’s my mom, she’s everything in between.”
Wilson was drafted No. 1 overall to the Aces in 2018. She won the 2017 national championship with Staley and South Carolina — the first in school history — and won the most outstanding player award.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 3:01 PM.
