# WNBA MVP Race: Why A’ja Wilson Is Running Away With It + 2026 Award Predictions

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-women-s-basketball-daily-podcast-on-the-wnba-909425/wnba-mvp-race-why-a-ja-wilson-is-running-away-with-it-2026-award-predictions
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-women-s-basketball-daily-podcast-on-the-wnba-909425/wnba-mvp-race-why-a-ja-wilson-is-running-away-with-it-2026-award-predictions.md
Podcast: [Locked On Women's Basketball – Daily Podcast On The WNBA](https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-women-s-basketball-daily-podcast-on-the-wnba-909425)
Published: 2026-09-16T20:19:20+00:00
Episode link: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-womens-basketball/
Audio file: https://pdrl.fm/ab2d09/lockedon.simplecastaudio.com/8d31b389-535c-4ce7-b173-5f7016ba17c8/episodes/a343af31-da27-4929-a64f-d3fe3828fb83/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=8d31b389-535c-4ce7-b173-5f7016ba17c8&awEpisodeId=a343af31-da27-4929-a64f-d3fe3828fb83&feed=6xlU4vnG
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/locked-on-women-s-basketball-daily-podcast-on-the-wnba-909425/episodes/wnba-mvp-race-why-a-ja-wilson-is-running-away-with-it-2026-award-predictions
Duration seconds: 1679

## Resource

The WNBA is back, and with the playoffs approaching, it’s time to make our 2026 award and All-WNBA projections. A’ja Wilson has been dominant all season — is another MVP already a foregone conclusion? We break down the MVP race and make our picks for every major WNBA award, including Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Player and Coach of the Year. Then, we reveal our projected All-WNBA and All-Rookie teams before putting two eliminated teams on the chopping block. 🔥 In this episode: A’ja Wilson for MVP? Angel Reese for Defensive Player of the Year Olivia Miles for Rookie of the Year Jess Shepard for Most Improved Player Janelle Salaün for Sixth Player Cheryl Reeve for Coach of the Year Our All-WNBA projections Our All-Rookie projections What’s next for the Los Angeles Sparks How Phoenix can rebuild around Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper The biggest roster-building questions heading into 2027

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