On Sunday, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson became just the second woman to be named a unanimous MVP in the history of the WNBA, an honor that most media pundits largely feel is well deserved. But that doesn’t mean the MVP voting process didn’t have its share of controversy.
A total of 67 media members took part in the voting process, with each ballot consisting of five ranked players who have a designated number of points assigned to them based on their ranking. The first and second-place votes largely made sense, with Wilson and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier nearly sweeping the board aside from a lone second-place vote for New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart. It was one fourth-place vote, however, that left media members scratching their heads, a vote for Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese.
WNBA MVP voting breakdown
🏀 A’ja Wilson is the first WNBA unanimous MVP since 1997.
🏀 Napheesa Collier one vote away from sweeping second.
🏀 Caitlin Clark finishes fourth.
🏀 Angel Reese receives one fourth-place vote. pic.twitter.com/bx7g0nUrU9— Colin Salao (@colincsalao) September 22, 2024
Reese finished her rookie season with an average of 13.6 points per game and a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game. But it was her field goal percentage at just 39.1% that left a lot to be desired. She also missed the final six games of the season due to an injury to her left wrist.
When you add in the fact that the Chicago Sky finished with a 13-27 record, the third-worst record in the WNBA, it’s hard to argue for Reese receiving this vote over the likes of Sabrina Ionescu, Nneka Ogwumike, or Alyssa Thomas, all of whom received single-digit fourth-place votes in their own right.
We don’t know the identity of the voter who ended up giving the fourth-place vote to Reese, as all 67 voters remain anonymous. But regardless, a number of media members around the WNBA took to social media to call out the voter, with some even suggesting that they should have their voting privileges revoked.
“Also… and this is not a shot at Angel Reese whatsoever, She has nothing to do with this… Whoever used a fourth-place MVP vote on Reese should be banned from voting on league awards forever,” James Boyd of The Athletic wrote on X. “They clearly don’t take the process seriously and can’t even pretend to be unbiased.”
Also — and this is not a shot at Angel Reese whatsoever. She has nothing to do with this — whoever used a fourth-place MVP vote on Reese should be banned from voting on league awards forever. They clearly don’t take the process seriously and can’t even pretend to be unbiased. https://t.co/OkCua9wM2e
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) September 22, 2024
“Not trying to start anything but voting Angel Reese 4th for MVP is neglecting professional responsibility,” wrote Robin Lundberg of Sports Illustrated.
Not trying to start anything but voting Angel Reese 4th for MVP is neglecting professional responsibility. https://t.co/P2oV4sb1pv
— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) September 22, 2024
“Having Angel Reese anywhere near the top-20 MVP voting should be grounds to have your vote taken away,” 247 Sports’ David Eickholt added.
Having Angel Reese anywhere near the top-20 MVP voting should be grounds to have your vote taken away.
Absolutely ridiculous. https://t.co/A0XvUxLe6O
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) September 22, 2024
It shouldn’t be seen as a knock to Reese to say that she simply doesn’t quite belong in these MVP conversations just yet. As a rebounder alone, she proved to be one of the more dominant forces in the WNBA this season in just her rookie season.
But clearly, people around the WNBA believe that there is some growth to be had as she heads into her second season before she truly warrants entering MVP talks.
