WNBA MVP Candidates: Updating One Week Before Regular Season Ends

With the WNBA regular season nearing its end and the playoffs quickly approaching, there likely will be a new player hoisting the WNBA MVP trophy one year after Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones did.

We previously weighed in on who might be in the running July 17, but with everything continuing to play out in the WNBA, it’s worth checking back in on which players are in the running.

Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
The Storm forward has been playing in a way that puts herself in a good spot to be named WNBA MVP. The 6-foot-4 forward leads the league in scoring while averaging 21.9 points per game. The 27-year-old sits in second in steals at 1.7 per game, behind Los Angeles Sparks’ guard Brittney Sykes (1.9). She had a double-double with 35 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s loss to the Aces.

A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson has led the second-place Aces by putting up some impressive numbers this season. She sits in fifth in points per game while averaging 19.5 points. The forward also leads the league in blocks per game with 2.1. She is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game, good for second behind only veteran Sylvia Fowles (9.7). She stuffs the stat sheet game after game.

Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks
Ogwumike is playing well for the Sparks this season. She is averaging 18.4 points, which ranks sixth in the WNBA. She also sits in fifth across the league in both steals per game (1.6) and field goal percentage (55.6%). The Stanford alum shows off her versatility every time she steps on the court, making an impact on both offense and defense.

Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
The young Aces’ guard has had nothing short of an amazing year, between the numbers she’s putting up and taking home the All-Star Game MVP Award. The guard ranks second in points per game with 20, which is behind only Stewart. She leads the league in three pointers made with 100, ahead of Diana Taurasi (92) and Arike Ogunbowale (83). Her three point percentage ranks third across the league (41.8%).

Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Ionescu has been making league and franchise history this year. The guard has had some impressive performances including when she became the first player in the league to record a 30-point triple-double with 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. She is one to dish the ball, ranking third in assists per game with 6.4 ahead of Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (6.1). She has made a total of 76 3-pointers this season, good for fourth across the league. On Saturday, Ionescu became the first player in WNBA history to record 500 points, 200 rebounds and 200 assists in a season.