"Phee NEVER winning MVP": Fans react as A’ja Wilson beats Napheesa Collier to win record fourth MVP crown

Despite her solid performance this season, Napheesa Collier couldn’t beat out A’ja Wilson, who was named the 2025 WNBA MVP on Saturday. This marks the fourth time Wilson has won the trophy, giving her the most MVPs in league history.

Wilson was key on both ends of the floor for the Las Vegas Aces, averaging 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, with her team finishing second in the league. Her defensive contributions earned her Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors alongside the Lynx’s Alanna Smith.

Meanwhile, Napheesa Collier led the Minnesota Lynx to the best record in the league, averaging 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. She was also efficient, shooting 53.1%, including 40.3% from 3-point range and 90.6% from the line, giving her 50-40-90 splits.

She missed out on the MVP award despite her stellar contributions, sparking strong reactions from fans on social media.

Fans reacted to the MVP announcement, joking that Napheesa Collier would never win the award. Others suggested that the Lynx forward had been “robbed.” Here are the most notable reactions from social media:

A'ja Wilson and the Aces' strong finish to the season saw the 2025 WNBA MVP slip away from Napheesa Collier

Napheesa Collier had been the clear favorite to win the 2025 WNBA MVP during the first half of this season. She had led the league in scoring for large stretches while the Lynx maintained its spot at the top throughout the season.

Meanwhile, the Aces climbed from the lower half of the standings to a second-place finish, winning 16 games in a row to finish with a 30-14 record. A'ja Wilson averaged 26.1 points and 12.0 rebounds over this stretch.

While Wilson willed her team to a top-three finish, Collier was unavailable for significant stretches during the second half, participating in only eight games after the All-Star break in July. She finished the season with 33 games compared to Wilson's 40.

Collier's unavailability and Wilson's strong finish to the season saw her overtake the Lynx forward for the award. This marks the second consecutive season that Collier has ended as a runner-up for the MVP award behind Wilson.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan