A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark carved out record-breaking seasons, putting up stats the WNBA had never seen before.
Rightfully so, the two superstars were runaway winners of the league’s top individual awards.
Wilson and Clark were the unanimous choices for the Associated Press’ (AP) WNBA Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards, as the postseason kicked off.
A'ja + M'VP 🏆
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 22, 2024
It just goes together. Redefining the game, one play at a time. Congrats, A'ja Wilson!
26.9 PPG | 11.9 RPG | 2.3 APG | 1.8 SPG | 2.6 BPG
2024 @Kia WNBA MVP #KiaMVP pic.twitter.com/c9d4n8NTRl
Caitlin Clark...
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 22, 2024
🏆 AP All-WNBA First Team
🏆 AP Rookie of the Year (unanimous)
🏆 AP All-Rookie Team
is her. pic.twitter.com/O5beRNtLlx
The Las Vegas Aces star copped her third career MVP on Monday, September 23 (PH time) and powered the two-time defending champions to a 78-67 Game 1 win against rivals Seattle Storm in their Western Conference opening-round showdown.
GAME 1 DUB ??#RaiseTheStakes pic.twitter.com/w5HGF2Bkub
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 23, 2024
Wilson, who also won the MVP trophy in 2020 and 2022, poured a team-high 21 points as the fourth-ranked Aces moved just one win away from reaching the semifinal round for a third straight season.
big-time buckets. big-time boards. big-time blocks. 😤@_ajawilson22: 21 PTS // 8 REB // 5 BLK // 43% FG#RaiseTheStakes pic.twitter.com/wDFH8REPzG
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 23, 2024
Before Wilson, only four-time champion and two-time MVP Cynthia Cooper won the award unanimously back in 1997.
Furthermore, the 28-year-old joined legends Sheryl Swoopes, Lauren Jackson, and Lisa Leslie as the only WNBA players to win the MVP award three times.
Since the existence of the WNBA back in 1996, no player has ever led the league in points, rebounds, and blocks in the same season.
Wilson changed that narrative this year as she logged in a league-best 1,021 points, 451 rebounds, and 98 blocks in a season-long domination for the Aces, who are gunning for a three-peat.
She also became the first player to crack 1,000 points in a season and owned the two highest-scoring output this season with 42 and 41 points respectively.
[ALSO READ: WNBA: A’ja Wilson breaks single-season scoring record, lifts Las Vegas Aces past Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever]
In 38 regular season games, Wilson averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, Clark is the second Fever player in franchise history to win AP Rookie of the Year after teammate and last year’s winner Aliyah Boston.
She arrived in the WNBA as arguably the most-hyped rookie ever and she delivered.
The rookie sensation helped the Indiana Fever to end an eight-year playoff drought thanks to her record-setting historic first season.
[ALSO READ; Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever clinch spot in 2024 WNBA Playoffs]
She led all rookies in scoring field goals made (242), three-point field goals made (122), assists, steals (1.3 SPG), and minutes (35.4 mpg). Clark also became the WNBA single-season assists record holder with 337 on top of posting 769 total points, the highest ever tally for a rookie.
The former University of Iowa also set a single-game and league-record 19 assists in a 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings on July 17.
She also became the first rookie to record a triple-double after dropping a 19-13-12 statline in a 83-78 loss against the New York Liberty.
Clark added another with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 93-86 victory against the Los Angeles Sparks.
[ALSO READ: WNBA: Caitlin Clark notches second career triple-double as Indiana Fever repulse LA Sparks for fifth straight win]
Among other records set by Clark include the most double-digit scoring games (35) by a rookie ever; the most double-doubles in a season in franchise history and by a rookie guard in WNBA history with 14; the most games with at least 10 assists in franchise history with 12; tied for the second most assists recorded in an All-Star game with 10 and the highest votes received in a All-Star Game history with 700,735 votes.
Overall, she played and started in all 40 regular season games for the Fever and averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists.
[ALSO READ: Clark Fever: Where does the 2024 WNBA regular season finale figure in record crowd count?]
Clark struggled in her playoff debut, scoring only 11 points on a measly 4-of-17 shooting that resulted in a 93-69 blowout loss against the third-seed Connecticut Sun.
Other AP postseason winners include Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier as the Defensive Player of the Year, LA Sparks’ Dearica Hamby as the Most Improved Player, Seattle Storm’s Skylar Diggins-Smith as the Comeback Player of the Year, and Minnesota Lynx’s Cheryl Reeve as the Coach of the Year.
(With reports from the Associated Press)
