South Carolina coach Dawn Staley knows greatness when she sees it, and for her, the WNBA MVP race is no contest. She put her stamp on A’ja Wilson’s candidacy with a public shoutout that quickly went viral.
“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,” Staley wrote.
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. pic.twitter.com/UR4MyDSJGj
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) September 8, 2025
There’s this link between Staley and A’ja Wilson. The pair was coach and college ward. Not only that, they lead the Gamecocks to their first NCAA championship in 2017. Eight years since then, WNBA, and still Wilson continues her game with her former mentor as her biggest backer.
She is the Ace in Las Vegas Aces with a significant turnout of stats from her shooting to her rebounding. This also put the Aces at the top of the deck, courtesy of her consistent and undeniable contribution, making sure that they are the team turning heads and taking names.
What makes her go beyond the numbers is how she adds value to the Aces game. Aside from her own way with the ball, she also takes command and demands consistency from her team. Add to that her highlight reel of plays, A’ja Wilson continues to give fans a reason to vote for her.
When Dawn Staley says, “A’Ja Wilson really is the MVP,” it carries weight. For many fans, that message simply confirmed what they already believe: the award is hers to lose.
A’ja Wilson drops 31 and 11 as Aces extend win streak to 14
80 to 66. That was the victory scoreline that the Aces powered their way through when they went up against the Chicago Sky, racking up a hot streak of 14 wins.
And in this win, A’ja Wilson is once again proving why she’s at the center of the MVP conversation. “I just try to be who my team needs me to be, whether that’s scoring, rebounding, or defending. Tonight it was about setting the tone,”
A’ja Wilson dragged the Aces over the finish line with plenty of margin to spare. Another dominant win in the belts. But what was also worth celebrating was that Wilson’s performance has set the bar again with Chelsea Gray minding the rear flanks.
Chicago never found an answer, struggling to contain Wilson inside. The Aces used a third-quarter surge to pull away, and Wilson made sure the Sky couldn’t recover.
For A’ja Wilson, it was another statement game. For the Aces, it was another step toward solidifying their place as the league’s team to beat.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at papadanph@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
