3 Ways A’ja Wilson Entering MVP Race With Napheesa Collier and Alyssa Thomas is Good for WNBA

Entering this WNBA season, there was hope that Caitlin Clark would attempt to win her 1st MVP award. Many felt it would be good for the sport as its popularity continues to surge. Instead of her, it is Napheesa Collier, Alyssa Thomas, and, most recently, A’ja Wilson, who are in the race.

The Indiana Fever guard draws millions to the WNBA. Most of those fans are new to the sport and come to watch her play. Viewership ratings dropped by 50% whenever she was injured, giving proof to this logic.

That drop is not what can help the league continue to grow at its newfound pace. They need to continue pushing forward if they are to break even and continue earning record revenue.

However, there are some reasons why this 3 way race without Caitlin Clark is good for the WNBA. A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and Alyssa Thomas battling for the league’s most prestigious individual award can help the league build a basketball-centric fan base.

A’ja Wilson cementing her legacy as best player in the world

When A’ja Wilson led Team USA to a gold medal and went on to break scoring and rebounding records on her way to her 3rd MVP, some of Caitlin Clark’s fiercest supporters labeled it as a selfish campaign.

They claimed that the Las Vegas Aces’ not defeating the New York Liberty in the playoffs was squarely down to her dominating self. Had they played as a team, they could have defended their crown.

This season, the 29-year-old was not initially in the MVP race, and worked to get the team to build its chemistry. Once that was sorted, she resumed her standard activity of being the best player on the floor.

Now, the Aces are on a winning streak, and some fans think they can go all the way. Right now, she is dominating and helping her team win. Those are marks of a great player, and these results will help Wilson cement herself as the best in the world.

Fans, particularly those who mostly watch Clark, should find interest in watching the best player in the world go to battle every day. Their perception of her should change. This is good for the league.

Napheesa Collier’s popularity surge is benefiting the WNBA

A’ja Wilson spending time with Caitlin Clark at the All-Star weekend was also seen as the breaking of the bridge that once kept their respective fans apart. Now, the latter’s millions of fans are softening their opinion on the Aces superstar.

Napheesa Collier did not have any issues with the Fever star. Rather, she was one of the players who enjoyed a good rapport with Clark. The result was more than 1 million fan votes for this year’s All-Star game.

The Lynx superstar was playing at an unreal level before an injury sidelined her for 2 weeks. When she returns, fans expect her to continue on her journey to become the league’s new MVP.

Whether she wins or not, if fans continue to watch her games, especially if the Lynx make another run to the WNBA Finals, it should help boost viewership ratings. Last season’s playoffs saw a significant drop in ratings once Clark was out. The hope is that this time, it will be different.

Alyssa Thomas, establishing herself as a superstar, can bring balance to the WNBA

Alyssa Thomas is currently facing a lot of brickbats, particularly from Caitlin Clark fans after she taunted them at the last Fever game for booing her fiancé and former Fever star, DeWanna Bonner.

Since then, Clark fan groups have been criticizing and labeling the Paris Olympics gold medalist‘s triple-doubles as something that resulted from her stat padding.

Those triple-doubles could continue, as Thomas is known for her excellence in scoring, rebounding, and playmaking. More importantly, she is doing all this despite having two other All-Stars playing alongside her.

If she continues to play at this level and ends up winning MVP, she might continue to face criticism from those biased fans. But at least she will establish herself as a superstar.

The league needs more of them, and the concentration on 3 or 4 players is not enough to spread the interest of fans across the league. Once Thomas emerges as one, there will be some fans who would want to watch her play.

A league’s success has unofficially been linked with the number of elite superstars playing. The NBA has several examples of such instances, and so do other major sporting leagues.

Over the past 3–4 years, the WNBA has largely been about A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. Caitlin Clark’s popularity has made her a superstar, but that is not enough. Napheesa Collier and Alyssa Thomas joining in will help to project the league as a competitive one. And competition draws fans.

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