‘Unthinkable,’ ‘unguardable’ Aces star remains WNBA MVP favorite

Phoenix Mercury guard Diani Taurasi, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer, had plenty of words to describe A’ja Wilson after losing 97-79 to the Aces on Sunday.

“What she’s doing right now is unthinkable,” Taurasi told reporters postgame. “She’s just unguardable.”

Those sound like appropriate superlatives for the most valuable player in the league. And the overwhelming consensus seems to be that Wilson, a two-time MVP, is barreling toward winning her third trophy.

But Wilson herself didn’t sound convinced after authoring just the second 40-point, 15-rebound performance in WNBA history Sunday. She even uttered the word “meh” when asked about her MVP case in a TV interview with broadcaster Krista Blunk after the game.

Wilson said her focus is mainly on her team’s 20-12 record, and she isn’t satisfied with that.

The Aces, despite some struggles in their quest for a third straight championship, clinched their sixth consecutive playoff berth Friday and then blew out the Mercury on the road.

Wilson, through all of it, remains at the center of her team’s success.

She is leading the WNBA in points (27.5) and blocks (2.7) per game. She is also on pace to break Taurasi’s 2006 scoring record of 25.3 points per game.

Despite that, Wilson is averaging just 1.3 turnovers per game. Aces coach Becky Hammon said Wilson’s efficiency is one of the things that sets her apart this season.

Hammon was critical of the voting process last year after Wilson finished third in a tightly contested MVP race. A fourth-place vote cost Wilson, who finished behind New York’s Breanna Stewart and second-place Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun.

Wilson said at the beginning of this season she felt motivated by the notorious ballot. It didn’t take long for teammate Kelsey Plum to warn reporters that Wilson’s MVP award this year “better be unanimous.”

Even if she doesn’t get every first-place vote, Wilson is likely to become a three-time MVP. The only other WNBA players who have won the award three times are Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Lauren Jackson.

“There’s getting numbers and then there’s crushing numbers, and she crushes numbers right now,” Hammon said before Sunday’s win. “And I just think (of) her consistency. She’s just consistent every day in her approach, what she gives to her teammates, what she gives to the game.”

Hammon added Wilson gets “more (defensive) attention than anybody,” but still manages to take care of the ball and find open teammates.

“With as many double teams and triple teams that she sees … I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player have more points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, then no turnovers,” Hammon said.

Wilson was forced out of her comfort zone this offseason when Hammon asked her to become more of a “point forward.” That meant Wilson had to bring the ball up the court more often and become more of a facilitator on offense.

Other players have taken notice of her versatility.

“You guys look at her as a post, I look at her as a guard,” Taurasi said Sunday.

It’s just another tool Wilson has added to her seemingly endless skill set.

“I’m always going to challenge her,” Hammon said. “She’s always still hungry. And I think that’s something that’s special. …That’s how she’s made up, to come back and just keep leveling up.”

Contact Callie Lawson-Freeman at clawsonfreeman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.