As the 2025 WNBA season approaches the playoffs, the conversation around who will end up with this year's MVP award heats up. Up until this final full month of the regular season, Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier was thought to be running away with the 2025 title. But Las Vegas Aces leader A'ja Wilson has been the key behind the team's turnaround, and head coach Becky Hammon is now campaigning for her superstar to receive her well-deserved recognition.
“I think any time you have to start with the [MVP] conversation starter as, ‘Who is as good as A'ja Wilson?' You already have your answer,” Hammon said definitively.
Wilson has been on a tear during Las Vegas' seven-game win streak that's seen the recent champions return to their dynastic form. Collier went down during the Lynx's 111-58 August 2 blowout victory over the Aces with an ankle injury that has caused her to miss extended amounts of time. In the few weeks that have passed since then, Wilson has begun leading the pack when it comes to MVP chatter. Hammon offered her thoughts on why the public's opinion has now split between Wilson and Collier, according to Aces reporter Callie Fin.
“Well, I think the media always makes their own narrative [about the MVP winner] out of the gate,” she said. “You know, [Collier] was winning it coming into this year. I think they made it up with [Breanna Stewart] winning it in [2023]. And they just decide, instead of just really digging into the numbers. That's what I think most media people do.”
While Collier was putting up the most elite performances night in and night out on a dominant Lynx squad, Wilson has kept the Aces afloat for most of the 2025 season until they found their rhythm and team chemistry. The reigning league MVP notched at least 27 points in five of their games during their active win streak, which Hammon pointed out works in favor of Wilson's MVP campaign.
“[Collier and Wilson] are both having phenomenal years, there's no doubt. But, you know, the year that we had the No. 1 offense and the No. 1 defense, A'ja [Wilson] didn't get [MVP],” Hammon added. “So people are going to make their own decisions. Can't get caught up too much in it, we've just got to go out and be about our business, let A'ja be A'ja,” she continued.
Got Becky Hammon’s philosophy on MVP before today’s win over the Wings.
She told me she generally views it as the player who would be the most dominant on any team.
More from her on A’ja Wilson’s MVP case specifically ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/XU1S31uylU
— Callie Fin (@CallieJLaw) August 18, 2025
The Aces have been the best team in the W midway through August. Las Vegas has not lost since dropping the August 2 matchup with the Lynx. After a slow start to the year, the Aces are finally looking like the squad WNBA fans expected to see all season long.
Wilson is not the only player thriving, as Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd have seemingly finally figured themselves out in the backcourt after Loyd shifted to a bench role. Loyd alone is averaging 15.1 points per game halfway through the month, significantly increasing her 11.6 points per game from earlier in the year.
Las Vegas has nine regular-season contests remaining following its latest 106-87 win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday. The Aces now sit comfortably within the playoff window, two games ahead of the Indiana Fever, and just a half-game back of the Phoenix Mercury. The Aces are peaking at the right time, and very few teams in the WNBA can keep up right now.
