A'ja Wilson opens up on her 3rd WNBA Most Valuable Player Award: 'Truly a blessing'
The 2024 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player Award goes to Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson, as was first revealed on Sunday's "Good Morning America" broadcast.
Wilson sat down for an exclusive interview with ABC News' Jaclyn Lee ahead of the official announcement, reacting to the honor -- her third award of its kind.
"Oh, man, I feel amazing... It's truly a blessing to get an MVP as a whole, but to say that this is my third... It's a good feeling. It really is," said Wilson, who won the award in 2020 and 2022.
When Lee asked Wilson how she felt about the MVP decision being unanimous -- the first time since 1997 -- Wilson exclaimed "wow!" while snapping her fingers in celebration and laughing.
"Oh, that's incredible, I did not know it was unanimous," Wilson said. "That's so cool."
For the first time, Wilson watched a video showing the moment she discovered she won her third MVP trophy while surrounded by her teammates.
“It was just a big moment," she said."I feel like it was just a moment for us, like, yes, it's a singular award, but having that with them, it was just like, so powerful, so much fun."
The Las Vegas Aces is a tight-knit group that Wilson calls her family.
"It's a melting pot, and we go together... We come together and mesh, just like 'chef's kiss.'"
Wilson now joins basketball greats like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson as the league's only three-time MVPs.
Coming off the best year of her career and averaging nearly 27 points a game, Wilson passes much of the credit to her University of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.
"She was someone that instilled just that boss, the leader," Wilson said. "I would love to sit on the couch and just chill but she was like, 'No, this is going to be a spotlight, it's going to be on you and I need you to shine the brightest, but don't let that light within dim.'"
Wilson said she wants to accomplish even more with Aces head coach Becky Hammon by her side.
"She didn't hold my hand, she didn't cookie-cut anything for me," Wilson said. "I need that hardcore honesty."
Wilson made it clear there is so much more she wants to accomplish and more records she wants to break.
When asked what she wants her legacy to be, Wilson said, "I'm human. I go through things, I see things, I get sad, I have anxiety, sometimes I'm depressed, like, letting people know, and I hope my legacy shows that."
“She was still a human. She's just like any one of us. I think that's kind of what I want my legacy to be," she added.
