Jump Ball: Is A'ja Wilson a unanimous MVP candidate?
In this new series from No Cap Space WBB, we embrace debate...but in a constructive way. A'ja Wilson's MVP case is the first topic up in the air.
Welcome to Jump Ball, a new written series from No Cap Space WBB. This season in the WNBA has been filled with plenty of debate but it doesn’t take long for points to go off the rails. Here at NCS, we’re deciding on a new model. Each installment of Jump Ball explores a topic where two of our writers will debate two separate sides. It’s up to you to decide in the comments what side you fall on. As sports discourse has gotten more and more caustic, we want to make a place for you to find good, spirited and respectful debate on the things that you want to hear about. Let us know in the comments who wins the Jump and what ball you want to throw in the air next!
The inaugural Jump Ball pits Rashard opposite Andrew with one subject: is A’ja Wilson a unanimous MVP or even the leading candidate? Let us know what you think below!
Rashard: MVP should be more than just who has the best numbers. It’s about the full narrative - how that player elevates their team, the leadership they show, the clutch moments they deliver, and how they define the season.
Team success should definitely factor in, but so should the impact that goes beyond the stat sheet, like resilience, the ability to inspire teammates, and the story that captures the season’s essence. The MVP should embody the heart and soul of the league that year.
Statistical Dominance: obviously stats are a big part of the MVP convo. a player’s numbers including their advanced metrics show their individual dominance but stats should just be the starting point
Team Success: MVP’s typically come from winning teams. the award should reflect how a player’s performance contributes to their team’s success
Impact on the Game: basketball goes beyond the box score. how is this player affecting the game… impact includes intangibles such as leadership, IQ, performing under pressure etc…
Consistency: it’s key! Showing up each night
Storyline: every MVP has a story… that can be leading a young team to unexpected success (*coughs CC*), overcoming adversity, or being that emotional leader. The narrative is what connects the fans to the player and their team.
(ahem) Cultural and League Impact: representing the league in a way that transcends basketball… inspiring a new generation of players, advocacy (social justice, etc), or being a role model… influence that elevates the game as a whole
Andrew: It’s an interesting discussion because I think it’s a failure of properly storytelling Wilson’s journey. If we believe that storyline and impact is vital to the award writ-large, I think A’ja actually has a pretty good one! Once an elite player that was stopped in the playoffs by Brittney Griner and then Breanna Stewart, who missed buzzer beater chances to advance and had to elevate through adversity, Wilson now sits on the precipice of the rarified air of all-time greats like Cynthia Cooper and (yes, folks) Sheryl Swoopes.
I think we’ve lost Wilson’s dominance a bit in the drama that’s surrounded the Aces as an organization. If things were going perfectly fine for Vegas, do we end up in a situation where media outlets are telling Wilson’s story a little better? Potentially. It also seems that so many outlets are new this year and thus coming upon Wilson in her prime. I’m not sure if it’s by design via her team or not but the mythmaking of ‘A’ja has always been this dominant’ feels like a misnomer and, at least in my opinion, dilutes her story a bit. She had to build to get to this and that’s a hero’s journey that is worth examining.
That’s before we get into the actual statistical dominance, from her record setting PER to her ability to takeover games at any quarter on any possession. The MVP to me is two-pronged: what is your value to your team and how outstanding have you been this year? Without her being out for an extended period of time (which no one wants, to be clear), it’s hard to gauge if her usage has contributed to the Aces inconsistency or has been a function of it. But there’s no doubt her on-court dominance and I’m worried that this is a year where she’s been so good people are overthinking it a bit.
If not Wilson outright, who are your candidates?
Rashard: There are plenty…
Sabrina Ionescu: This is the first time in her W career that I’m seeing her as the main character of a TV show. She has been the glue of this NYL team, holding all the stars together. The impact goes beyond the stats (because I know people are looking for Stewie’s name) – her leadership and comfortability this season has resulted in the liberty having the best record in the league currently.
Nneka Ogwumike: A player who hasn’t gotten as much national attention (in my opinion) since her MVP season. Nneka has remained consistent throughout the entirety of her career and has been the steady force for Seattle this season who are currently 5th in the league after finishing 11th last year. That’s IMPACT! And when we look into the stats, there are categories where her averages are better than some of those in her MVP season
Caitlin Clark: I know y’all finna be mad at this one. This is the first time that the Fever have been relevant since Tamika Catchings. I would know because my eyes were glued to the screen in awe of Catchings and her style of play. She has elevated the play of those around her. I think CC is similar to Curry, changing the way people are entertained by the WNBA. My friends who aren’t even basketball fans have been tuned in because of her impact (as well as the other rookies–they deserve their flowers always). Don’t fight me … because I know y’all love to tussle… but multiple things can be true. We can pay respect to those who came before, laying the foundation for this league, and being changemakers in many ways while also acknowledging the impact of this new generation. What’s the harm in CC being acknowledged as a potential candidate?? We’ve seen it before with Candace Parker who was named both ROY and MVP. Also *whispers* impact! This is the first time in EIGHT YEARS that the Fever have clinched a playoff spot.
“MVPhee”: Napheesa Collier has had one helluva season. She took this Lynx team that were ranked 9th in the preseason with lots of question marks and now has them fighting for a possible 2-seed in the playoffs this year. Phee has been doing it all (and doing it well!) on both ends of the floor yet that’s not the most impressive thing that sets her apart from the others. It’s the story that has been brewing for years. Everyone wondered what would happen to the Lynx after Whalen, Brunson, Moore, Augustus, and Fowles retired. The transition into this new era without Fowles, who was the last to retire, has displayed her leadership and development into the star she is today.
A’ja Wilson: Ms. Wilson has been phenomenal this season, truly. The stats have been top tier, the play has been dominant, and there’s been a number of clutch moments. But, like I said… there’s gotta be something more, something beyond the stats.
Andrew: I’d say that the best argument here isn’t for anyone else to be MVP but instead that some can garner votes (if I had a vote it’s going to A’ja regardless, but I digress). I’ll leave Chauny to decide whether or not she wants to beat you over the head for even putting Sabrina in this group while Nneka has put together a first-team All-WNBA season but not MVP caliber, in my opinion.
Clark feels like someone that could be in this conversation had that adjustment period not occurred. I did the math the other night and put it in the chat but if the delineating line of her rookie year was the day Jim Trotter showed up to ask her to apologize for internet trolls, then she has a legit case. Since that press availability on June 16th, she’s averaged 21.9 points, 10.1 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. For reference, Candace Parker averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in her Rookie of the Year/MVP season.
But if the argument against Angel Reese for Rookie of the Year this season is ‘she’d be Rookie of the Year any other season she just ran up on a generational run’, I think the same applies to Clark in an MVP conversation. Would she legitimately be a first-place vote getter in other seasons? I think so. But this is a truly outlier season from A’ja and I think we’d be doing a disservice not honoring that. Does it mean unanimous? Probably not, especially with Napheesa Collier being the likely first-place vote getter ahead of anyone else but still behind A.
The outcome I’d want to see happen? A’ja is the clear MVP. Collier, however, is the Defensive Player of the Year. If I put everything on the metric argument, Phee’s DPOY credentials are well established and her defensive rating is far and away the best in the league.
We just can’t overcomplicate this. A’ja is the MVP.
Rashard: Lemme put it like this… No, the numbers are not the same but A’ja is in the same boat Alyssa Thomas was in last season. AT had a historic season in terms of stats yet couldn’t win the voters over. The argument for A’ja last season was ‘best player on the best team’ as well as the stats supporting her case. There was also an interesting story attached with Vegas fighting to repeat as champs… That’s not the case this season. This season reminds me of A’ja’s senior year at South Carolina where she carried A LOT of weight. I feel like there should be less pressure on a team that rosters six Olympians. The story for the Aces this season has been struggle. Projected as the top team heading into the season, returning its core, and adding an All-Star in Hayes – it sounded good. A’ja’s play is impressive but it’s keeping Vegas afloat.
And just so we know I’m consistent in my takes. Seasons ago, I was vouching for Skylar Diggins-Smith as the MVP. Prior to the 2022 season, the Mercury looked like strong finals contenders. But their season shifted well before it started with the detainment of BG in Russia. Kia Nurse was out with an ACL injury, Tina Charles had a contract divorce with the team, and there was clear tension between DT and SDS. Despite the adversity Skylar led the league in MPG (34.0) while pregnant, averaging some of her best numbers statistically, while leading the Mercury into the playoffs. She was named to the First Team that season and (most importantly) had a story attached to her play!
Andrew: I see where you’re coming from but there is a story here. We (and I say we because we are also media) just haven’t framed it properly. With a month left in the season is there merit in the idea that it’s too late? Potentially!
But I think we’re mixing A’ja’s story and the Aces’ story together a bit too much. They are somewhat divorceable and we need to get her away from Vegas’ narrative which admittedly isn’t great this year unless you’re a fan of the team. They’ve generally underachieved, looked mentally disjointed at times and their vibes as an organization have been off to say the very least. But that’s not what you can do to Wilson, who has managed to be a steadying force in a season where things could have gone off the rails.
If I’m ingesting things purely from a media lens, it is interesting that we haven’t seen Wilson do much press to bolster a personal profile away from the Aces in terms of her MVP case. There’s a fair argument that it makes her even more of a team player but it has muddied the water a bit. All in all, there’s 60 voters and someone is bound to not put her first on the ballot (4th place vote in 2023, anyone?). That doesn’t make it right. She’s clearly the best, most valuable to her team and has a great story. People just haven’t done a good job telling it yet. Hopefully, Wilson speaks on it herself or with the right outlet that will allow her to do so. Because I think that once there’s a deeper examination of what’s gotten her to this point, the argument of giving her the MVP every year she does stuff like this becomes a lot easier.
If Phee doesn’t take it, she is the only #2 to my mind. She’s on a deep team, but she’s also the clear leader. She can shoot over players who have inches on her and defend and rebound above her size too. Will steal your ball and distribute it. Her stats are nothing to sneeze at but she’s always contributing even when her scoring is a little quieter. Eye test wise, you see that she gives up the ball because she’s trying to get it to someone with a better look. Just a really complete player and hard worker who does her thing without much fanfare.
A'ja is MVP²: Most valuable player with Most Vogue Presence - the woman wears a white tee shirt like it's Balenciaga. Seriously, to be that consistently great on a team with both high expectations and seríous distractions is on a level with Bill Russell as player coach or Jerry West winning Finals MVP while losing. Sometimes you have to respect leadership and guts over stats.
As for Caitlin...her learning curve is amazing. She has made the leap from college hotshot to force multiplier: not only is she playing better, her teammates are playing well beyond their previous efforts, and with joy and purpose. How the heck is CC getting ten rebounds? Her passing is the biggest surprise. She is playing like Barb Cousy, Stephanie Curry, Eve Nash and Mary Bird. CC has weaponized passing for the Fever. Rookie of the Year - no doubt and no sharing. It should be unanimous - and I'm a Sky and Angel fan.