Staley: A'ja Wilson Is WNBA's GOAT — SkimNews
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- Dawn Staley declared A'ja Wilson the WNBA's GOAT and backed her for a third consecutive MVP, saying 'You can argue with a wall. A'ja Wilson is the MVP.'
- A'ja Wilson already holds a record four MVP awards — the most in WNBA history — and would become the first player to win the award three years in a row if she takes it again.
- Wilson is leading the league in points and blocks per game while ranking in the top five in rebounds, with Staley calling her two-way defense the 'differentiator and the separator' in the MVP race.
- Wilson skipped the Team USA World Cup due to back issues but has averaged 29.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, two steals and 1.5 blocks across the Aces' two wins since returning from the FIBA break.
- The Aces sit third in the league standings at 29-13 as the reigning champions, closing the regular season against the Sparks on Sept. 22 and the Mercury on Sept. 24.
- Staley referenced the 2023 MVP race — when Wilson finished third and infamously received a fourth-place vote — as part of her case that Wilson has 'done things that no other player has done.'
Why it matters: Staley's endorsement carries extra weight because she coached Wilson at South Carolina from 2014 to 2018, and she's making the GOAT case at a moment when Wilson could become the first player in WNBA history to win three consecutive MVPs while anchoring a 29-13 title defense. If voters agree, Wilson cements an all-time legacy before her 30th birthday season even ends.
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