Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray and Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell were named the five finalists for the WNBA’s 2025 Most Valuable Player award on Friday.
The voting results may tell a different story, but this is generally considered to be a two-horse race between Collier and Wilson.
Collier averaged 22.9 points on 53.1 percent shooting, including 40.3 percent from beyond the arc, along with 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks.
The 28-year-old also has the bonus of being the best player on the best team, which isn’t necessarily the purpose of MVP but has historically boosted a player’s candidacy. The Lynx finished 34-10 and were first in both offensive rating (109.5) and defensive rating (97.5), per WNBA.com.
The sizable lead Collier had in the MVP battle in the first half dwindled and may have disappeared altogether in the second half, though.
The five-time All-Star missed 11 games through injury, which equaled a quarter of the season. She wouldn’t be eligible for MVP whatsoever if the WNBA used the same minimum-games threshold the NBA applies to its awards.
Meanwhile, Wilson’s stock surged as the Aces closed the regular season on a 16-game winning streak. During that run, she averaged 26.1 points, 12 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.3 blocks.
Las Vegas had a plus-21.3 net rating when Wilson was on the court over those final 16 games, per WNBA.com. Its net rating was minus-5.8 in the 113 minutes she was on the bench.
The games toward the end of the year count the same as those in the front half of the schedule. There’s some danger in letting recency bias obscure Collier and Wilson’s season-long resumes. The Lynx also went 3-1 against the Aces, which included 31- and 53-point blowouts.
Somebody has to win, but it’s tough to put much separation between the two stars.
Of course, the focus on Collier and Wilson has overshadowed the fact Thomas might’ve been an MVP favorite in a different year.
The 33-year-old averaged 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists in 39 appearances. Only Courtey Vandersloot in 2020 dished out more dimes, and that happened in an abbreviated 22-game season.
Thomas also shot a career-best 53.3 percent from the field.
“She just impacts the game in so many ways,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said, per The Next’s Kathleen Gier. “Those are just the numbers. But, you know, you can’t put a value on her competitive spirit and her focus and determination and what she does at the defensive end, right? Like, she’s just probably the best, like, free safety in our league, she just can see things that others can’t defensively, and all those things matter.”
Phoenix said goodbye to a pair of legends, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, in the offseason, and organizations can struggle when that kind of experience and leadership goes out the door.
Adding Thomas and Satou Sabally had the intended effect, though, as the Mercury won 27 games and earned the No. 4 seed.
Unfortunately for Thomas, that probably won’t be enough to vault her to the top of the MVP ladder.
The same can be said for Gray and Mitchell, who enjoyed spectacular seasons in their own right.
Earning All-Star honors for a third consecutive season, Gray set new career highs across the board this season with 18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 three-pointers made per game.
All eyes were on Fever star Caitlin Clark entering the 2025 season, but while injuries limited her to 13 games, Mitchell firmly established herself as the team’s go-to player with 20.2 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 three-pointers made and 1.8 rebounds per contest.
