Top 10 Greatest WNBA MVP Award Winners of All Time

The WNBA MVP Award stands as one of the highest individual accolades in basketball, symbolizing unparalleled excellence and contribution to the game. From dynamic scorers to playmakers who dominate both ends of the court, the WNBA MVP winners are a testament to the league’s finest talents. In this article, we celebrate the top 10 greatest WNBA MVP Award winners of all time, delving into their legacy, achievements, and lasting impact on basketball history.

1. Sheryl Swoopes

Sheryl Swoopes has etched her mark in the WNBA on the top with her three WNBA MVP titles. She earned the first WNBA MVP title in 2000, the second one in 2002, and the third one in 2005. Surprisingly, Swoopes got all of the league MVPs while playing for the Houston Comets. When Sheryl got her first WNBA MVP, it came during the reign when the Houston Comets were having a championship streak from 1997 to 2000. Swoopes was having a golden time around the early 2000s since she earned three Olympic Gold medals while representing the USA in 1996, 2000, and 2004.

The scoring that a player adds up for his team matters while announcing the WNBA MVP award winner. Here are the number of points that Sheryl Swoopes scored when she won MVP awards:

2. Lisa Leslie

Lisa Leslie was another big name after Sheryl Swoopes, who established her dominance in the WNBA as a 3x WNBA MVP title holder(2001, 2004, 2006). Just after Swoopes’ third WNBA MVP title award, Leslie became the second WNBA player to win three WNBA MVP honors. Leslie played 12 seasons in the league and got all of her WNBA MVP awards while playing for the Los Angeles Sparks.

Lisa surpassed Swoopes in terms of Olympic Gold medals since she attended four Summer Olympics in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 and won all of them. When the former Sparks center retired in 2009, she was the league’s all-time leader in terms of points and rebounds.

3. Lauren Jackson

After Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie, Lauran Jackson reigned as the next icon of the WNBA basketball world. She was the first pick in the 2001 Draft class and won the WNBA MVP award three times in 2003, 2007, and 2010. Just like Lisa, Lauren played all of her 12 seasons with Seattle Storm and earned the MVP titles with the Storm team. When Lauren got her first WNBA MVP in 2003, she was the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 1000 points.

Coming to her second WNBA MVP award in 2007, Lauren Jackson was the Defensive Player of the Year that year. Jackson was even the scoring and rebounding leader in the same year. Lauren hit the peak of WNBA accolades in 2010 when she earned not only the WNBA MVP honor but also the WNBA Finals MVP title.

4. A’ja Wilson

A’ja Wilson is the modern-day icon of the WNBA world as she has matched the legends of Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Lauren Jackson. She reached that level of perfection just last year when she won her third WNBA MVP award in 2024. Surprisingly, she won the award unanimously, getting all the 67 votes of the Sportswriter and Broadcaster panel. It was not just one department in which A’ja showed her prowess as a WNBA MVP winner. She was leading the league in terms of single-season scoring and blocks.

Apart from her last year’s exceptional performance, A’ja also won the WNBA MVP award in 2020 and 2022. Wilson’s season in 2024 also included records for the season’s two highest-scoring games, the most consecutive games with 20 or more points, and the highest single-season average of defensive rebounds per game.

5. Candace Parker

Candace Parker has played 16 long seasons in the league. She retired just a year before, in 2023. The first WNBA MVP trophy that she earned came in 2008 when the Los Angeles Sparks picked her up as the no.1 pick from the draft class. The debut season for Parker was one of the best seasons that she had in the league. As a Sparks forward, Parker averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Another aspect that Candace Parker displayed during her debut year was the best perimeter shooting of her career(42.3%), as per ESPN data.

Candace Parker repeated her excellent performance on the court once again in 2013, when she again got the WNBA MVP award. The award came during her tenure with the Los Angeles Sparks, where she averaged 17.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and about two blocks per game.

Also Read: Candace Parker’s Net Worth, Career Highlights and Legacy in the WNBA

6. Elena Delle Donne

The 2013 pick two from the draft class, Elena Delle Donne, has emerged to be one of those versatile players who gave their best for each team. She has won two WNBA MVP awards in her career. The first accolade that she got came in 2015 while playing for Chicago Sky. It was the best year for Elena Delle Donne performance-wise after her debut, as Elena averaged 23.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. The second WNBA MVP that Elena got came after she got traded to the Washington Mystics in 2017.

In 2019, Elena got her second WNBA MVP award. She received 41 of 43 first-place votes and 420 points from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. And it was not just the on-court skills that she displayed on an individual team. She carried the whole team on her shoulders, leading the Mystics to the highest single-season offensive rating in WNBA history.

7. Breanna Stewart

The 2016 round 1 pick one, Breanna Stewart, has won the WNBA MVP twice in her career. It was one of the best stints(2018) that she had as a player for the Seattle Storm. She averaged 21.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists that year. The Storm won 26 games that season and even won the WNBA Championships. It is no surprise that Breanna Stewart also won the WNBA Finals MVP that season.

The second WNBA MVP came for Breanna Stewart during her 2023 pro-basketball season. After Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart is the second-only player to win the MVP award on multiple teams. The Liberty forward was the first MVP in the history of the New York Liberty. The 30-year-old forward led the Liberty to a 32-win season and dominated in the playoffs.

8. Cynthia Copper

After the league’s inauguration in 1997, Cynthia Cooper was the first player to get the WNBA MVP award. She got it consecutively in 1997 and 1998 while playing for the Houston Comets. The Comets were on a winning rampage during their initial years and won multiple championships. Since Cynthia was part of that Comets roster and delivered well, she also consecutively won four WNBA MVP Finals MVP awards from 1997 to 2000.

Cooper was a decorated basketball player, even though she played for a short stint in the league. She was the first WNBA player to score 1,000, 2,000, and 2,500 points. Cooper was also a two-time Olympian, winning gold in 1988 and bronze in 1992.

9. Diana Taurasi

Diana Taurasi is a living legend in the WNBA world, as she has already played 20 seasons in the league. She was a round 1 pick 1 from the 2004 draft class, but she won the WNBA MVP award in 2009. She led the league with 20.4 points per game that year. Her performance in the paint was impeccable as a scorer, as she set the record for the best field goal percentage of 46.1% in her career. The same year, Diana even won the championship and WNBA Finals MVP for her team, Phoenix Mercury. Taurasi was named WNBA MVP after receiving 323 points and 27 first-place votes from sportswriters and broadcasters. 

Here are the total season points that Diana Taurasi had scored in the year when she won the WNBA MVP award:

10. Tamika Catchings

Tamika Catchings won only one WNBA MVP award in 2011. In fact 2011 was not the best year as a player for Tamika Catchings. However, her overall performance shone as she averaged 15.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game that year. She received 292 points from a national panel of 40 sportswriters and broadcasters’ panel. From the team standpoint, Tamika Catchings led the Indiana Fever to a 21–13 record and topped the Eastern Conference standings.

She was face of the Indiana Fever due to her contribution to the franchise. So it was not a surprise when she got her WNBA MVP while playing for Indiana Fever in 2011:

The Legacy of WNBA MVP Winners

The early birds of the WNBA world have set high standards for the future generations in the league. Only A’ja Wilson is the player currently who has shown that kind of dominance in pro basketball. It enables fans to analyze how the players have shown growth over the years and what they can yet do to get the best out of their hooping skills. That’s why the WNBA MVP titles always have a high respect among women’s basketball enthusiasts.

Also Read: WNBA All-Star Game: Top Performances, Stats, and Fan Engagement

Honorable Mentions

Though there are myths built around the first 10 WNBA MVP winners, there are many more players who need recognition from the fans. The likes of Sylvia Fowles, Tina Charles, and Nneka Ogwumike have also received the MVP award. They might not have got their place on the list of Top 10 WNBA MVP award holders but they are talented enough to be worthy of the title.

The Symbolism of the WNBA MVP Trophy

The WNBA MVP trophy represents more than just a personal achievement. It’s not just the numbers on the court that get the attention of such awards. Rather, how much the players push their team to the limits and help them dominate the league also matters. Winning the WNBA MVP Award cements a player’s place in basketball history, forever etching their name among the greats. The depiction of the WNBA trophy usually has a female player in a dribbling position.

The Connection to Other Trophies

Like the WNBA MVP Trophy, the WNBA players also have high ambition for other awards like the WNBA Finals MVP trophy and the WNBA All-Star trophy. The Finals MVP award is a unique high for a basketball player since not only does a franchise win the championship, but the player also gets recognition for being the key role player. Coming to the All-Star trophy, it represents more of the off-court fanbase of the player and their following.

Also Read: List of WNBA Champions: Teams and Players with the Most Championships

Conclusion

WNBA MVP Award is the promise of recognition for those who are among the representatives of talents that the league has to offer. From Sheryl Swoopes to Lisa Leslie, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson, MVPs have left a permanent impact on the game by establishing an inspiring benchmark. The league is growing, but the players have not changed their approach to getting the best out of them as pro-basketballers. WNBA MVP award is one of those accolades that decided the reputation of a player within the league.

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