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Tracking WNBA MVP race: Caitlin Clark enters the conversationMichael VoepelClose
ESPN Senior Writer
With All-Star weekend in the rearview mirror, the WNBA regular-season awards picture is coming more into focus.
Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson looks well positioned to win her fifth award after leading the league in scoring at 26.6 points per game, just shy of the her single-season WNBA record two seasons ago.
But as illustrated by last year’s MVP race — when Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces completely dominated the second half — a late push can have plenty of bearing on the decisions of awards voters. And with the way rookie sensation Olivia Miles is playing as she guides the Minnesota Lynx to a league-best 25-6 record, maybe, just maybe, there is an opening. We’ll get to see those two stars go head-to-head twice in a week when their teams face off Saturday in Minnesota and Aug. 15 in Las Vegas.
What other players are entering the MVP conversation? ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Kareem Copeland and Alexa Philippou provide their just in takes on the top individual performances for all the major WNBA awards so far this season.
Jump to:
MVP | Rookie of Year | Defensive Player of Year
Most Improved | Sixth Player | Coach of Year
Front-runner: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson’s high-level production has become so common that sometimes it feels as if what she does on a nightly basis is taken for granted.
In her ninth season and with four MVP trophies already in her case, Wilson is flirting with a career high in scoring, averaging 26.6 points. She has scored in double figures in each of the 28 games in which she has played this season, including consecutive 30-point performances to end July and open August. To round out her stat sheet, Wilson is also averaging 9.6 rebounds (third best in the league) and 2.0 blocks (second best).
At All-Star weekend, Wilson told ESPN that she’s “been the goat since ’96,” the year she was born. She turns 30 on Saturday. Will a fifth MVP mark the first few months of Wilson as a thirtysomething? — Andrews
Editor’s Picks
Top contenders
Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx: Not only did Miles keep the Lynx afloat while they waited for Napheesa Collier to get healthy, but now Collier — who finished second in last season’s MVP voting — is back, and Miles still hasn’t dropped her productivity. She scored 28 points Sunday against the Fever, leading the Lynx to their 10th straight victory. They sit comfortably atop the WNBA standings at 25-6, 3½ games above the Aces. She’s in the top 10 in scoring (19.7) and assists (5.8), which are both team highs for Minnesota. — Andrews
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever: Clark has statistically been the most well-rounded guard this season. Her 21.5 points per game rank No. 3 and 8.0 assists rank No. 2 in the league. Clark’s 4.0 rebounds is No. 9 among guards who have played at least 20 games. Last week, she became the fifth player in league history with a 25-point triple-double on 50% shooting and the first in franchise history with three consecutive games of 25-plus points and five-plus assists. At the helm of the highest-scoring offense in the league, Clark and the Fever have a WNBA record 14 games of 100-plus points. — Copeland
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings: The point guard is at the crux of the Wings’ emergence into a top-four team this season after they won only 10 games last year. She and Clark are the only players averaging at least 20 points and 5 assists, and Bueckers continues to shine with her efficiency (56.2% from inside the arc and 38.6% from 3-point range) and late-game play. She is averaging 6.3 points in the fourth quarter, the best mark of any player who has appeared in at least 15 games this season. — Philippou
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty: The Liberty have fallen short of expectations so far this year, which probably will affect how voters view her MVP case, but it hasn’t been from a lack of brilliance from Stewart. The 6-foot-4 do-it-all forward is averaging 21.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals in her 10th season, with her recent play containing shades of her previous MVP campaigns. In fact, her 276 points over her past 11 games are the most in any 11-game span in her decorated career. — Philippou
Front-runner: Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx
Barring something unexpected, there’s no question Miles will be named Rookie of the Year. (Miles is such a favorite we’re not even listing other contenders.) She has played well enough to be in the MVP discussion, an award won by only one rookie in league history — Candace Parker in 2008. Miles ranks No. 8 in points per game (19.7) and assists (5.8) and No. 29 in rebounds (4.7). Her 10 games of 20-plus points and five-plus assists are the most in a single season in Lynx history. As everyone questioned what the team would look like in 2026 as they lost four of their top seven scorers in free agency and played most of the season without MVP runner-up Collier, Miles led the Lynx to the top of the standings. — Copeland
Front-runner: A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson’s GOAT argument also accounts for what she does on the other end of the court, where she’s a three-time (and potentially soon-to-be four-time) defensive player of the year winner. She’s the defensive anchor for the Aces — on a team in which coach Becky Hammon always preaches defense, defense, defense — while leading the league in blocks (2.0) to go along with 1.5 steals per game. — Philippou
Top contenders
Natasha Howard, Minnesota Lynx: Howard has anchored the No. 3 scoring defense in the league as one of the few bigs in the Lynx rotation. Her 1.8 steals per game rank No. 4 in the league and 7.8 rebounds rank No. 13. Howard’s signing was one of the most significant of the offseason as the three-time All-Star, 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, 2018 Most Improved Player and three-time champion has been the perfect fit in her return to Minnesota. She also ranks No. 9 in defensive win shares (0.167). — Copeland
Gabby Williams, Golden State Valkyries: The Valkyries have the best defense in the league, and Williams has been at the forefront. What makes Williams so effective on that end is her ability to exploit mismatches, constantly taking on the opponent’s best guards and forcing them into turnovers. She ranks eighth in the league in steals (1.6 per game). — Andrews
Front-runner: Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings
Shepard has been given a bigger opportunity in Dallas and she is taking full advantage. Playing 13 more minutes than last year, her overall usage rate (17.9%) is up 16% from last season and she is averaging 17.9% more touches this year compared to last, a jump that ranks in the top 10 in the largest increase over the past year in the WNBA. Shepard is averaging almost seven more points and five more rebounds from 2025, and is one of only two players in the league averaging a double-double (14.7 PPG, 11.8 RPG). She is also the first WNBA player with multiple 15-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist games in a season. — Andrews
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Top contenders
Shakira Austin, Washington Mystics: This is the season Austin has been waiting for after injuries limited her the past three years. There are career-high averages across the board — 15.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 36.1% 3-point shooting and 11.9 field goal attempts. She led the Mystics’ upset over the Wings last week with a season-high 28 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Washington wasn’t expected to be a playoff team in 2026, but Austin has been the steady veteran presence for the youngest team in the league. The 2022 No. 3 pick ranks fourth in the league in rebounds per game and is 0.4 rebounds shy of being the third player in the league to average a double-double. She also anchors the No. 2 scoring defense. — Copeland
Dominique Malonga, Seattle Storm: The Storm’s tough 2026 season — they’re 6-26 — hasn’t all been a disappointment given how promising their young core looks. Malonga is chief among that group, and the French standout has shined in her second season, earning her first All-Star nod and averaging 16.3 points (up from 7.7 PPG as a rookie), 8.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocks. — Philippou
Front-runner: Janelle Salaun, Golden State Valkyries
A starter for Golden State last year, Salaun now is one of the league’s most dynamic players coming off the bench. Her 13.2 points per game ranks second in bench scoring, behind Kelsey Plum (who was a reserve in her Phoenix debut). Salaun’s shooting has become a lethal option for the Valkyries, shooting 39.7% from 3 on 6.3 attempts per game — which is also a league-high mark among nonstarters. — Andrews
Top contender
Sophie Cunningham, Indiana Fever: Cunningham has been a perfect complement off the bench for the No. 1 scoring team in the league. Her 52 3-pointers rank behind only Salaun among reserves as she averages 9.3 points (she is Indiana’s fourth-highest scorer after All-Stars Kelsey Mitchell, Clark and Aliyah Boston). As a defensive presence, Cunningham brings a physicality that constantly irritates opponents. — Copeland
Front-runner: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
The Lynx opened the season with the fifth-best odds to win the 2026 championship after losing Bridget Carleton, Alanna Smith, Shepard, Natisha Hiedeman and DiJonai Carrington in free agency. Few knew what to expect after Minnesota lost so much production. Additionally, Collier didn’t play her first game until July 22 as she made her way back from ankle surgeries. The team didn’t miss a beat under the guidance of Reeve as she put rookie Miles in position to thrive and moved Courtney Williams back to shooting guard (the latter earned her third All-Star selection last month). The Lynx have steadily been the top team in the league with the No. 2 scoring offense (92.7) and No. 3 scoring defense (83.4). — Copeland
Top contenders
Sydney Johnson, Washington Mystics: This is just Year 2 of what was supposed to be an extensive rebuild in Washington. Austin and Michaela Onyenwere are the only players on the roster with more than one year of experience. Still, the Mystics are the No. 3 scoring defense in the league and control their postseason destiny with a 16-12 record with a five-game lead to secure the No. 8 playoff slot. Johnson, in his second season, has gotten the team to mature beyond their years — even with six first-round draft picks in the past two years — and has created a focused yet energetic environment. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen have been All-Stars in both of their seasons under Johnson. The Mystics have already matched their win total from 2025 with 16 games left. — Copeland
Jose Fernandez, Dallas Wings: The Wings are one win away from doubling their win total from last season (10) and remain within reach of hosting playoff games come September. And though the standout play of Bueckers and the Wings’ offseason acquisitions have a lot to do with that, it’s also a testament to the entertaining offensive system and winning culture Fernandez has brought to Dallas. — Philippou
Natalie Nakase, Golden State Valkyries: One year after leading the Valkyries to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in their inaugural season, Nakase’s team is a serious title contender within striking distance of the second-best record in the league. More than anything else, Golden State is a team built on depth and togetherness. The way they can dominate as a unit is a testament to how Nakase leads and coaches them. — Andrews
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