The 2025 WNBA season is only a few weeks old, but the WNBA MVP conversation has already begun. A'ja Wilson won the award three of the past five years (2020, 2022, 2024), and the Aces superstar is a favorite to win again this year, but another star could take home the award for the first time.
Napheesa Collier is averaging a league-high 25.1 points per game for the undefeated Minnesota Lynx (8-0). She's shooting 52.5% from the field, 40.9% from three, and 90.7% from the free-throw line, putting her in the elusive 50/40/90 category (for now). Collier was runner-up for MVP last year, but so far in 2025, she's leaving zero doubts about who should be at the top of the MVP list.
Collier isn't on Wilson's heels, but vice versa. Caitlin Clark entered the season as the favorite to win MVP (but not according to WNBA GMs), but she's missed the past few games with a quad injury. It seemed like the award would come down to Wilson or Clark, but that isn't the case, at least not currently. Clark could propel her name back into the MVP after she returns, but for now, Collier is at the top of the leaderboard.
Napheesa Collier is off to a hot start for the undefeated Lynx
Collier became the first-ever Unrivaled MVP over the winter and won the one-on-one tournament, starting strong with the league she co-founded with Breanna Stewart. Watching her excellence in Miami was thrilling for basketball fans and gave a glimpse of what was to come during the WNBA season.
On Wednesday, she was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for May after previously winning Western Conference Player of the Week. The individual accolades are nice, but Collier has her eyes on a bigger prize. No, it's not the MVP award, but instead, a championship.
Like she said, the Lynx have "bigger goals" than winning individual games. Minnesota came up short against the Liberty in the WNBA Finals last year. There could be a rematch in October. If it's up to Collier, there will be.
When you think Collier can't get any better -- she does. Collier is showing no signs of slowing down, which could result in her taking home some valuable hardware, not just the MVP award.