A'ja Wilson vs. Napheesa Collier: The moments that reshaped the WNBA MVP race

Napheesa Collier near the tribunal astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse connected July 19 with a WNBA All-Star Game-record 36 points and the MVP trophy. The Minnesota Lynx guardant looked apt to adhd a bigger grant astatine season's end: the league's MVP award.

The WNBA volition denote the victor Sunday. But successful possibly the biggest displacement successful the communicative astir the MVP grant successful league history, what appeared to beryllium a foregone decision 2 months agone has turned into a hotly contested race.

Will Collier triumph her archetypal MVP? Or volition Las Vegas Aces halfway A'ja Wilson go the archetypal WNBA subordinate to triumph the grant 4 times?

After the All-Star break, an Aug. 2 wounded outgo Collier the adjacent 7 games. During that absence, the Aces went unbeaten, with Wilson starring them to an eventual 16-game winning streak to extremity the regular season. Phoenix Mercury guardant Alyssa Thomas had 8 triple-doubles successful the regular play and besides deserves consideration, but the MVP statement mostly narrowed to Wilson vs. Collier, who returned Aug. 24.

The No. 1 effect Lynx and No. 2 effect Aces person precocious to the WNBA semifinals. But the playoffs person nary bearing connected MVP. Award ballots had to beryllium formed 2 days earlier the postseason began.

ESPN picked Wilson to triumph MVP earlier this month, but which subordinate astir impressed the largest fig of voters connected the media panel? Let's look astatine however the conflict for MVP played retired arsenic 1 of the signature storylines of the 2025 season.

May 7: Wilson was No. 1 successful ESPN's preseason ranking of the apical 25 players successful the WNBA. Recounting Wilson's 2024 season, we wrote: "She won her 3rd MVP grant with career-high averages successful points, rebounds, blocks and steals. Her (26.9) scoring mean was the highest for immoderate play successful league history. ​​She made the all-WNBA and all-defensive archetypal teams."

May 16: On the opening nighttime of the 2025 season, Collier scored what ended up being a season-high 34 points. She averaged 26.8 points connected 52.7% shooting from the tract successful her archetypal 5 games, and Minnesota started the play with 9 consecutive victories. Collier, who finished 2nd successful MVP balloting past season, staked an aboriginal assertion to the award.

June 17: The Lynx bushed the Aces 76-62 to wrapper up a league-best 5-1 grounds successful Commissioner's Cup games, though Indiana bushed Minnesota successful the July 1 final. Collier had conscionable 7 points against the Aces arsenic she near aboriginal successful the 2nd fractional with backmost pain. It was the lone clip successful her 33 regular-season games that she didn't people successful treble figures.

June 27: After missing 2 games with lingering backmost issues, Collier returned with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists successful a 96-92 overtime triumph astatine Atlanta.

July 14: Collier started retired astatine No. 2 successful ESPN's preseason ranking of the apical 25 players but took implicit No. 1 connected ESPN's midseason top-25 list, with Wilson dropping to second. We wrote: "For the archetypal time, Collier tops our rankings aft submitting a archetypal fractional that has her successful po...