Is A’ja Wilson a Top-Five WNBA Player of All Time?

WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson won her record-breaking fourth MVP award on Sunday. With such a monumental moment, there’s no better time to assess where Wilson ranks among the best of the best.

A’ja Wilson was drafted first overall by the Las Vegas Aces in 2018 from South Carolina and exploded onto the scene, making the All-Star Game, winning Rookie of the Year, and placing seventh in the MVP race. Since then, she’s cemented her legacy as one of the WNBA’s greats by winning two championships and becoming a seven-time All-Star, five-time All-WNBA, and four-time All-Defensive player. Moreover, Wilson has won three Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) awards, is a two-time scoring champion, and is a five-time blocking champion. Wilson’s greatness is as clear as day, but how does her legacy stack up to all-time players’ careers?

For starters, Wilson is 21st in career points, 18th in career total rebounds, and has only 613 career assists, an average of 2.3 assists per game. She is also ninth in career blocks and falls just short of placing within the top 25 career leaders in steals. Wilson is first in career points per game and player efficiency rating (PER), narrowly beating Hall of Fame player Cynthia Cooper in both categories by 0.18 and 0.44, respectively. Wilson has the only 20+ point and 10+ rebound MVP seasons in 2024 and 2025, respectively. She also had the highest-scoring year ever in 2024, becoming the first player to amass over 1,000 points in a single season. Wilson has the 15th-best career win share record, a statistic that evaluates a player’s contributions to winning games. Considering Wilson has only played in eight seasons so far, her placement in these categories and records is beyond excellent. Wilson’s legacy is so grand that there aren’t too many WNBA players “greater” than her. 

For the moment, at least four players, in no particular order, still rank above Wilson: Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and the aforementioned Cooper. 

Taurasi is the all-time point scorer, the only person to score 10,000 points in the WNBA. Despite having only one MVP award, Taurasi has an outstanding 11 All-Star and 14 All-WNBA selections, the most All-WNBA selections among all players. With three championships to her name, Taurasi is clearly a Hall of Fame-level player, and may be the greatest player of all time given her legacy, accomplishments, and long tenure in the WNBA. The only thing that holds Taurasi back is her lack of MVPs, which highlights her inability to consistently be the best-of-the-best rather than consistently one of the best.

Leslie, a Hall of Fame star, three-time MVP, two-time champion, eight-time All-Star, and 12-time All-WNBA player, is one of the best to step on a WNBA court. Leslie was in the top three in MVP voting for eight seasons and never averaged less than 15 points per game in a season. The two-time DPOY is third in career blocks and was able to thrive on both sides of the court. Despite not having as many peaks compared to these other legends, Leslie succeeds through her impressively consistent 12 WNBA seasons.

Parker is a recent star in the WNBA, and her success cannot be understated. While winning two MVPs, Parker accrued seven All-Star and 10 All-WNBA selections. Parker’s three championships prove her winning mentality throughout her career, and what’s really helped her legacy is her off-the-court presence, highlighted in this article by USA Today and in her increasingly successful broadcasting career. Parker was an inspiring talent in the WNBA and continues to build her legacy as one of the most important players in basketball.

Cooper is a remarkably unique player in WNBA history, as the first league MVP, championship winner, and Finals MVP. Cooper’s been around since the league’s 1997 formation, entering when she was 34 years old. Cooper won back-to-back MVPs, along with four consecutive All-WNBA selections, WNBA championships, and Finals MVPs. After her fourth year, she became the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury for two years, then played just one more season for the Houston Comets, appearing in only four games. While she only played four, albeit amazing, years in the WNBA, Cooper’s legacy remains one of the most important in the league’s history as the pioneer of all pioneers, reflected in her induction to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

How Wilson will compare to these legends in a few seasons from now is purely speculation. She, however, is building one of the most impressive resumes the WNBA will ever see. Taurasi, Leslie, and Parker’s legacies emphasize their long-term success and consistency, while Cooper’s legacy focuses on the most fantastic four-year stretch of possibly any basketball player ever. Wilson’s legacy seems to do a bit of both, showing consistent success each year while providing two of the best MVP seasons back-to-back. If she continues to dominate at this level, and for many more seasons at that, I have no doubt A’ja Wilson will retire as the greatest WNBA player ever.