Top 10 Most WNBA Valuable Player Award Winners of All Time

The WNBA Most Valuable Player Award stands as one of the highest individual accolades in basketball, symbolizing unparalleled excellence and contribution to the game. From dynamic scorers to playmakers who dominate both ends of the court, the WNBA MVP winners are a testament to the league’s finest talents. In this article, we celebrate the top 10 greatest WNBA MVP Award winners of all time, delving into their legacy, achievements, and lasting impact on basketball history.

Who Has Won Most WNBA Valuable Player Award?

Sheryl Swoopes stands out in the WNBA MVP Award winners list as one of the players with the most WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards. She won the WNBA MVP Award three times, in 2000, 2002, and 2005, during her career with the Houston Comets. Swoopes’ dominant play on both ends of the court earned her a top spot in the WNBA MVP list. Her leadership and versatility were key to the Comets' success in the early 2000s. As a trailblazer, she remains a legendary figure among WNBA MVP Award winners and continues to inspire future generations in women’s basketball history.

Most WNBA Valuable Player Award Winners

The WNBA Most Valuable Player Award is one of the highest honors given to a player each season, recognizing outstanding performance, leadership, and impact on the game. Presented annually since 1997, the WNBA MVP Award celebrates the league’s top talent. Many legendary athletes have earned this prestigious title, earning their place in the WNBA MVP Award winners list. This honor highlights the players who consistently elevate their teams with exceptional skill and dedication. Below is a complete WNBA MVP list that includes all past winners of the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, showcasing the league’s greatest stars over the years.

#10. Tamika Catchings (1)

Tamika Catchings won only one WNBA MVP award in 2011. In fact, 2011 was not the best year as a player for Tamika Catchings. However, her overall performance shone as she averaged 15.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game that year. She received 292 points from a national panel of 40 sportswriters and broadcasters. From the team standpoint, Tamika Catchings led the Indiana Fever to a 21–13 record and topped the Eastern Conference standings.

She was the face of the Indiana Fever due to her contribution to the franchise. So it was not a surprise when she got her WNBA MVP while playing for the Indiana Fever in 2011. Tamika ranks 10th in the WNBA most valuable player award list.

#9. Diana Taurasi (1)

Diana Taurasi is a living legend in the WNBA world, as she has already played 20 seasons in the league. She was a round 1 pick 1 from the 2004 draft class, but she won the WNBA MVP award in 2009. She led the league with 20.4 points per game that year. Her performance in the paint was impeccable as a scorer, as she set the record for the best field goal percentage of 46.1% in her career. The same year, Diana even won the championship and WNBA Finals MVP for her team, the Phoenix Mercury. Taurasi was named WNBA MVP after receiving 323 points and 27 first-place votes from sportswriters and broadcasters. Diana ranks 9th on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

Here are the total season points that Diana Taurasi scored in the year when she won the WNBA MVP award:

#8. Cynthia Cooper (2)

After the league’s inauguration in 1997, Cynthia Cooper was the first player to get the WNBA MVP award. She got it consecutively in 1997 and 1998 while playing for the Houston Comets. The Comets were on a winning rampage during their initial years and won multiple championships. Since Cynthia was part of that Comets roster and delivered well, she also consecutively won four WNBA Finals MVP awards from 1997 to 2000.

Cooper was a decorated basketball player, even though she played for a short stint in the league. She was the first WNBA player to score 1,000, 2,000, and 2,500 points. Cooper was also a two-time Olympian, winning gold in 1988 and bronze in 1992. Cynthia ranks 8th on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

#7. Breanna Stewart (2)

The 2016 round 1 pick, Breanna Stewart, has won the WNBA MVP twice in her career. It was one of the best stints(2018) that she had as a player for the Seattle Storm. She averaged 21.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists that year. The Storm won 26 games that season and even won the WNBA Championships. It is no surprise that Breanna Stewart also won the WNBA Finals MVP that season.

The second WNBA MVP was awarded to Breanna Stewart during her 2023 pro-basketball season. After Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart is the second player to win the MVP award on multiple teams. The Liberty forward was the first MVP in the history of the New York Liberty. The 30-year-old forward led the Liberty to a 32-win season and dominated in the playoffs. Stewie ranks 7th on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

#6. Elena Delle Donne (2)

The 2013 pick two from the draft class, Elena Delle Donne, has emerged to be one of those versatile players who gave their best for each team. She has won two WNBA MVP awards in her career. The first accolade that she got came in 2015 while playing for the Chicago Sky. It was the best year for Elena Delle Donne's performance-wise after her debut, as Elena averaged 23.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. The second WNBA MVP that Elena got came after she was traded to the Washington Mystics in 2017.

In 2019, Elena got her second WNBA MVP award. She received 41 of 43 first-place votes and 420 points from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. And it was not just the on-court skills that she displayed on an individual team. She carried the whole team on her shoulders, leading the Mystics to the highest single-season offensive rating in WNBA history. Elena ranks 6th on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

#5. Candace Parker (2)

Candace Parker has played 16 long seasons in the league. She retired just a year before, in 2023. The first WNBA MVP trophy that she earned came in 2008 when the Los Angeles Sparks picked her up as the No. 1 pick from the draft class. The debut season for Parker was one of the best seasons that she had in the league. As a Sparks forward, Parker averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. Another aspect that Candace Parker displayed during her debut year was the best perimeter shooting of her career(42.3%), as per ESPN data.

Candace Parker repeated her excellent performance on the court once again in 2013, when she again got the WNBA MVP award. The award came during her tenure with the Los Angeles Sparks, where she averaged 17.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and about two blocks per game. Candace ranks 5th on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

#4. A’ja Wilson (3)

A’ja Wilson is the modern-day icon of the WNBA world as she has matched the legends of Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Lauren Jackson. She reached that level of perfection just last year when she won her third WNBA MVP award in 2024. Surprisingly, she won the award unanimously, getting all 67 votes of the Sportswriter and Broadcaster panel. It was not just one department in which A’ja showed her prowess as a WNBA MVP winner. She was leading the league with the Las Vegas Aces in terms of single-season scoring and blocks.

Apart from her last year’s exceptional performance, A’ja also won the WNBA MVP award in 2020 and 2022. Wilson’s season in 2024 also included records for the season’s two highest-scoring games, the most consecutive games with 20 or more points, and the highest single-season average of defensive rebounds per game. Wilson ranks 4th on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

#3. Lauren Jackson (3)

After Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie, Lauren Jackson reigned as the next icon of the WNBA basketball world. She was the first pick in the 2001 Draft class and won the WNBA MVP award three times in 2003, 2007, and 2010. Just like Lisa, Lauren played all of her 12 seasons with the Seattle Storm and earned the MVP title with the Storm team. When Lauren got her first WNBA MVP in 2003, she was the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 1000 points.

Coming to her second WNBA MVP award in 2007, Lauren Jackson was the Defensive Player of the Year that year. Jackson was even the scoring and rebounding leader in the same year. Lauren hit the peak of WNBA accolades in 2010 when she earned not only the WNBA MVP honor but also the WNBA Finals MVP title. Lauren ranks 3rd on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

#2. Lisa Leslie (3)

Lisa Leslie was another big name after Sheryl Swoopes, who established her dominance in the WNBA as a 3x WNBA MVP title holder(2001, 2004, 2006). Just after Swoopes’ third WNBA MVP title award, Leslie became the second WNBA player to win three WNBA MVP honors. Leslie played 12 seasons in the league and got all of her WNBA MVP awards while playing for the Los Angeles Sparks.

Lisa surpassed Swoopes in terms of Olympic Gold medals since she attended four Summer Olympics in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 and won all of them. When the former Sparks center retired in 2009, she was the league’s all-time leader in terms of points and rebounds. Lisa ranks 2nd on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

#1. Sheryl Swoopes (3)

Sheryl Swoopes has etched her mark in the WNBA at the top with her three WNBA MVP titles. She earned the first WNBA MVP title in 2000, the second one in 2002, and the third one in 2005. Surprisingly, Swoopes got all of the league MVPs while playing for the Houston Comets. When Sheryl got her first WNBA MVP, it came during the reign when the Houston Comets were having a championship streak from 1997 to 2000. Swoopes was having a golden time around the early 2000s since she earned three Olympic Gold medals while representing the USA in 1996, 2000, and 2004. Sheryl ranks 1st on the WNBA most valuable player award list.

The scoring that a player adds up for his team matters while announcing the WNBA MVP award winner. Here are the number of points that Sheryl Swoopes scored when she won MVP awards: