WNBA Most Valuable Player Award

The Women's National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the league's inaugural season in 1997. MVP voting takes place immediately following the regular season. The award recipient is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States. Panel members were asked to select their top five choices for the award, with 10 points being awarded for a first place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.

In 2008, fans could also have a say in who won the award. Fans were able to vote online for their top five MVP picks. These selections accounted for 25% of the total vote, while the media panel's selections accounted for the other 75%.

Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson have won the award three times. Two players have won the award with different franchises—Elena Delle Donne in 2015 with the Chicago Sky and 2019 with the Washington Mystics, and Breanna Stewart in 2018 with the Seattle Storm and 2023 with the New York Liberty.

Candace Parker is the only player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season—2008.

Jackson, both born and trained in Australia, is the only award winner trained outside the United States.

The sculptor of the WNBA MVP Award is Marc Mellon, who is also the sculptor of the NBA MVP Trophy.

Winners

WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, presented annually.
^ Denotes player who is still active in the WNBA
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Denotes player whose team won championship that year
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player has been named MVP
Team (X) Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won
Season Player Position Nationality Team
1997 Cynthia Cooper* Guard  United States Houston Comets
1998 Cynthia Cooper* (2) Guard  United States Houston Comets (2)
1999 Yolanda Griffith* Center  United States Sacramento Monarchs
2000 Sheryl Swoopes* Guard / Forward  United States Houston Comets (3)
2001 Lisa Leslie* Center  United States Los Angeles Sparks
2002 Sheryl Swoopes* (2) Guard / Forward  United States Houston Comets (4)
2003 Lauren Jackson* Forward / Center  Australia Seattle Storm
2004 Lisa Leslie* (2) Center  United States Los Angeles Sparks (2)
2005 Sheryl Swoopes* (3) Guard / Forward  United States Houston Comets (5)
2006 Lisa Leslie* (3) Center  United States Los Angeles Sparks (3)
2007 Lauren Jackson* (2) Forward / Center  Australia Seattle Storm (2)
2008 Candace Parker ^ Forward  United States Los Angeles Sparks (4)
2009 Diana Taurasi ^ Guard  United States Phoenix Mercury
2010 Lauren Jackson* (3) Forward / Center  Australia Seattle Storm (3)
2011 Tamika Catchings* Forward  United States Indiana Fever
2012 Tina Charles Center  United States Connecticut Sun
2013 Candace Parker ^ (2) Forward  United States Los Angeles Sparks (5)
2014 Maya Moore Forward  United States Minnesota Lynx
2015 Elena Delle Donne ^ Guard / Forward  United States Chicago Sky
2016 Nneka Ogwumike ^ Forward  United States Los Angeles Sparks (6)
2017 Sylvia Fowles Center  United States Minnesota Lynx (2)
2018 Breanna Stewart ^ Forward  United States Seattle Storm (4)
2019 Elena Delle Donne ^ (2) Guard / Forward  United States Washington Mystics
2020 A'ja Wilson ^ Forward  United States Las Vegas Aces
2021 Jonquel Jones ^ Forward / center  Bahamas /  Bosnia and Herzegovina Connecticut Sun (2)
2022 A'ja Wilson ^ (2) Forward  United States Las Vegas Aces (2)
2023 Breanna Stewart ^ (2) Forward  United States New York Liberty

Multi-time winners

AwardsPlayerTeam(s)Years
3Sheryl SwoopesHouston Comets2000, 2002, 2005
Lisa LeslieLos Angeles Sparks2001, 2004, 2006
Lauren JacksonSeattle Storm2003, 2007, 2010
2Cynthia CooperHouston Comets1997, 1998
Candace ParkerLos Angeles Sparks2008, 2013
Elena Delle DonneChicago Sky / Washington Mystics2015, 2019
A'ja WilsonLas Vegas Aces2020, 2022
Breanna StewartSeattle Storm / New York Liberty2018, 2023

Teams

AwardsTeamsYears
6 Los Angeles Sparks 2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2016
5 Houston Comets 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005
4 Seattle Storm 2003, 2007, 2010, 2018
2 Minnesota Lynx 2014, 2017
Connecticut Sun 2012, 2021
Las Vegas Aces 2020, 2022
1 Sacramento Monarchs 1999
Phoenix Mercury 2009
Indiana Fever 2011
Chicago Sky 2015
Washington Mystics 2019
New York Liberty 2023
0 Dallas Wings None
Atlanta Dream

See also

References

  • "WNBA MVP Award - Marc Mellon Sculpture Studio". Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  • "WNBA MVP". Retrieved January 19, 2009.
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