Stephen A. Smith Makes WNBA MVP Opinion Extremely Clear
Perhaps the most intriguing story to follow in this final week of the WNBA regular season is the three-player race for the 2025 WNBA MVP award.
While some are making a case for Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray to receive MVP consideration, most would agree that the three players who actually stand a chance of winning the award are Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas.
South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley (who coached Wilson in college) sent a strong message about who she thinks should win the award with a September 8 X post that read, "As we wind down the @WNBA season, just would like to thank all the talented women who gave us a season of all seasons. If there’s truly no funny stuff in the air @_ajawilson22 really is the MVP. I’m biased but the historical numbers and run their on aren’t."
Stephen A. Smith Makes A'ja Wilson WNBA MVP Case
Of course, Staley is a little bit biased with their stance. But ESPN sports personality Stephen A. Smith isn't, and he made a strong case for Wilson to win the award (and even predicted she would) during a September 9 episode of First Take.
"Let me say this, ladies and gentlemen... the Las Vegas Aces lost by 53 points on their home court to the Minnesota Lynx on August 2. They ain't lost a game since," Smith said, per an X post from First Take. "And this woman, A'ja Wilson, who's already a three-time league MVP, is about to get another one."
He then added, "This is what I love about... Becky Hammon. She's the one coach, I've firmly been on the record saying, if you got men coaching in the WNBA, she could be coaching in the NBA. Because that woman can coach. I love that Becky Hammon."
"A'ja Wilson is about to win the league MVP, [the Aces are] in third place in the WNBA standings, they're gonna be a force to be reckoned with. But A'ja Wilson is the truth. She is special. Damn right she's gonna be MVP again!" he concluded.
"A'ja Wilson, who's already a three-time league MVP, is about to get another one."
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 9, 2025
-@stephenasmith on Aja Wilson and the Aces' winning streak 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nNReeETuqL
It's clear that Stephen A. Smith envisions the Aces will find a lot of success this postseason, and that will be on the back of Wilson's dominance.
Wilson and her Aces squad is looking for their 15th straight win against the Chicago Sky on Tuesday evening.
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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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