"It's the intangibles I really like to focus on" - A'ja Wilson talks about hard work being the bedrock behind third WNBA MVP award

A'ja Wilson won her third WNBA MVP on Sunday after being voted unanimously following a historic campaign. She credited hard work as the bedrock of her success, becoming the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a season.

Speaking to reporters before the Las Vegas Aces' Game 1 matchup against the Seattle Storm, Wilson discussed her hard work to become the player she is now and pointed out that the intangibles are more important than a trophy. She said (8:12):

"I'm not in it for just all the shiny things. Like this is great, but the biggest message in the work is with the work that needs to be done. How can I be better?

"How can I be a better teammate, leader, person? Like that is the true trophy, so I think that is just the biggest difference between this one and the other one."

The newly crowned MVP added:

"This one's silver, it's a little chrome. She's got a little top bun going on, which is cute but no, the trophy in itself is something tangible. But it's the intangibles that I really like to focus on and just the reality of just keep working hard. Hard work truly pays off."

A'ja Wilson averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.6 blocks per game this season. She shot 51.8% from the field, 31.7% from beyond the arc and 84.4% from the free throw line.

It will likely go down as one of the greatest individual seasons in WNBA history. She also led the Las Vegas Aces to the No. 4 seed and face the Seattle Storm in the first round.

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A'ja Wilson joins Cynthia Cooper as only unanimous MVPs in WNBA history

A'ja Wilson joins Cynthia Cooper as only unanimous MVPs in WNBA history. (Photo: IMAGN)

According to CBS News, A'ja Wilson received all 67 first-place votes to become the second player in WNBA history to win the MVP unanimously. Wilson joined the legendary Cynthia Cooper, who won the award unanimously during the league's inaugural season in 1997.

It was also Wilson's third MVP award, also winning it in 2020 and 2022. She's the fourth WNBA player to accomplish the feat, joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.

The Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier came in second, followed by 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark and the Connecticut Sun's Alyssa Thomas.

Apart from becoming the first player to score 1,000 points in a season, Wilson broke Diana Taurasi's scoring average record in a season. She also led the league in blocks, with 98, while her 11.9 rebounds per game is the third-highest in WNBA history.