Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The WNBA MVP rankings reveal a tight race with one rookie making an historic push for a rare double honor.
- Veteran stars and a resurgent team anchor the top of the list, while injuries and inconsistencies shuffle other contenders.
- The debate centers on whether a rookie engine can overtake established dominance before the final vote.
The WNBA Rookie of the Year race is a foregone conclusion at this point, and the player who has locked that up now has her eyes set on another prize: MVP. Just one player in league history has won both in the same season, Candace Parker back in 2008. Could Olivia Miles be the second?
Not if four-time MVP A'ja Wilson has anything to say about it. While the MVP race is tightening a bit, Wilson remains on top as we close out the month of June. Let's take stock of the current contenders.
5. Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Is this the best season we've seen from two-time MVP Breanna Stewart? No. Her shooting from outside continues to crumble and she's on track for the lowest 3-point percentage of her career (and her lowest overall field goal percentage since 2021). Still, she's been the most important player on one of the league's best teams, so slotting in fifth here is a no-brainer over anyone else behind her in the race.
There's been a lot of pressure on Stewart this year. Offseason acquisition Satou Sabally wasn't ready to go when the season tipped off and Stewart's best teammate, Sabrina Ionescu, has played in just six games and is shooting a career-worst 33.9 percent from the floor.
Stewart has put this team on her back all the same. Sure, it helps that she has a lot of complementary teammates, but New York going 12-6 so far while dealing with so many injury concerns to key players is a huge plus in Stewart's MVP case.
4. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
One of these days, Caitlin Clark is going to win an MVP award. The 2026 season has shown that her injury-plagued 2025 campaign was a fluke, and she's back on the trajectory she was on as a rookie.
Sure, Clark has her flaws, from ill-advised shot attempts to a bit of a temper when she's playing. But she's also one of the league's best playmakers, and she deserves credit for figuring out how to play alongside Kelsey Mitchell. There was concern, when she was drafted, that having two ball-dominant guards in the backcourt wouldn't work, but they've learned to play off each other very well.
What's hurting Clark's MVP chances? Probably a combination of her turnovers, defensive issues and the Fever's general struggles with consistency, as the team has lost three of its past four. Still, Clark is inching closer to her first hardware, even if it's unlikely to come in 2026.
3. Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
Could Olivia Miles do it? As mentioned in the intro, Candace Parker is the only player to ever win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, but Miles looks the closest we've seen to doing it since, even more so than rookie-year Clark.
The Lynx should be bad. They lost some very crucial players this offseason and still don't have Napheesa Collier back. But they've managed to not only stay afloat but to sit first in the league standings with a 14-4 record, with Miles playing a huge role in that.
The rookie sits 12th in the league in points per game and ranks in the top 30 in field goal percentage. She's also ninth in assists per game and 18th in steals per game. There are players with better stats, sure, but Miles has been the engine behind the team's success.
2. Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
I said it a few weeks back and I'll say it again now: Paige Bueckers is the biggest threat to A'ja Wilson's quest for another MVP award. With the Dallas Wings cruising for a playoff spot, Bueckers is positioned to finish at least second in the voting thanks to how her strong play has contributed to the team's massive turnaround. Remember: This was the worst team in the league last season.
Bueckers is averaging basically the same amount of points per game as she did last season — 19.3 in 2026, compared to 19.2 in 2025 — but is doing so more efficiently, and her assists are up as the team is using her more in a playmaking role.
We also should give Bueckers credit for helping this team succeed in spite of a couple big issues. One is that the team's biggest free agent signing, Alanna Smith, has been a complete non-factor. The other is that Arike Ogunbowale has struggled even more with her efficiency than usual. Despite that, the Wings are 11-6 on the year.
1. A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
No surprise here: Wilson remains the favorite. She's the best player in the WNBA, building a GOAT case one year at a time. She might end up holding a ton of league records when all is said and done. And while I wouldn't say this is her best season, it's still the best season anyone in the league is having.
Wilson leads the WNBA in scoring and blocks and is fourth in rebounds per game and 13th in steals per game. She's the best offensive and defensive player in the league, and there's no one close to her at the moment.
The only thing that could derail her at this point is the rest of her team falling off a cliff — like, maybe the voters don't vote for her if the Aces slip up and finish outside the top four? — or if Bueckers (or Miles) can get close enough that voter fatigue wins out. Honestly? I don't see either happening, but weirder things have happened.
Add us as a preferred source on Google