Rebecca Lobo's Strong WNBA MVP Award Stance Sparks Debate
With just a few days remaining in the 2025 WNBA regular season, it's clear that the race for the league's 2025 MVP award is down to three players: Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson, and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas.
All three of these players have produced fantastic seasons and seem well deserving of getting this award (which would mark the first WNBA MVP for Collier and Thomas and the fourth for Wilson). When it once seemed like Collier was the clear favorite to win the award about midway through the season, both Wilson and Thomas have closed the gap with spectacular individual and team performances since the WNBA All-Star break in July.
Rebecca Lobo Weighs in on 2025 WNBA MVP Award
Women's basketball icon Rebecca Lobo is one of the most respected figures in the sport, and her opinion holds a lot of weight. This is why it was interesting to hear her share her sentiment on how this year's WNBA MVP race will shake out with a September 8 X post.
Lobo's stance was a response to a viral post she had on September 5, 2023, that read, "This year’s MVP vote will be a reflection of voter philosophy:
1.) Best player in the league
2.) Most outstanding player on the team with the best record
3.) Player most valuable to her team
"And you can’t go wrong with any of them."
She replied to this post on Monday and wrote, "Last year’s MVP vote was easy. This year will be as close as it was in 2023, and once again reflect voter philosophy."
Last year’s MVP vote was easy. This year will be as close as it was in 2023, and once again reflect voter philosophy. https://t.co/aE5jZd5hA6
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) September 8, 2025
For what it's worth, New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart won the 2023 WNBA MVP award, as she received 20 first-place votes, 23 second-place votes, and 17 third-place votes, which earned her 446 total points. Alyssa Thomas (who was then on the Connecticut Sun) received a total of 439 points, while A'ja Wilson got 433 points. Therefore, you can see how close a vote this ended up being.
It seems that not everybody agrees with Lobo saying that the vote will be close. One X user commented and wrote, "This year, it ain’t close. It’s A’ja’s to lose."
This year, it ain’t close. It’s A’ja’s to lose.
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) September 8, 2025
"its aja by a mile why do people think its close 😂," another added.
A third made a case for Collier by writing, "All Phee has to do is score 2 more threes without missing.. 50-40-90.. it’s over.. Phee mvp".
All Phee has to do is score 2 more threes without missing.. 50-40-90.. it’s over.. Phee mvp
— junaid (@pacersfeverfan) September 8, 2025
It will be fascinating to see how the panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters casts their respective WNBA MVP ballots.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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