A'ja Wilson vs. Napheesa Collier: The key stats you need to know in 2025 WNBA MVP debate

After a historic season, it is fitting that the race for the 2025 WNBA MVP award is one of the best the league has ever seen.

While a group of notable players turned in seasons worthy of MVP consideration, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, and Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson stand out above the rest. In fact, on Friday, those three stars officially joined the Atlanta Dream's Alissa Gray and the Indiana Fever's Kelsey Mitchell as the five WNBA MVP finalists.

Your 5️⃣ finalists for the 2025 WNBA @Kia Most Valuable Player!

🏆 Napheesa Collier, @minnesotalynx
🏆 Allisha Gray, @AtlantaDream
🏆 Kelsey Mitchell, @IndianaFever
🏆 Alyssa Thomas, @PhoenixMercury
🏆 A’ja Wilson, @LVAces

The 2025 Kia Most Valuable Player announcement will… pic.twitter.com/gciBotIEb9

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 19, 2025

However, as the season wound down, it was Collier and Wilson who stood out on their own. Both cases are equally compelling, and poetically, there's an overlap in the narratives.

Collier entered the 2025 season on a mission after the Lynx came up short in the 2024 WNBA Finals. She put up major numbers before missing three weeks of action with an ankle injury suffered in an early August blowout of Wilson's Aces. Collier didn't miss a beat upon her return, and Minnesota finished first in the league with a 34-10 record.

The blowout loss to Minnesota proved to be a turning point for Wilson and Las Vegas, as the team finished the season with 16 straight wins to earn the league's second-best record at 30-14. Wilson averaged 26.1 points and 12.0 rebounds during the streak, firmly placing herself in conversations to win MVP for a second consecutive season.

Now, The Sporting News breaks down the MVP case for each candidate.

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A'ja Wilson vs. Napheesa Collier stats

When analyzing stats, it's important to recognize the breadth of the numbers and the context in which they come.

Wins and losses are the most important numbers, and Collier's Lynx won 34 games while Wilson's Aces won 30. Notably, Collier missed 11 games (25.0 percent of the season), though Minnesota was 27-6 in games she appeared in. Wilson missed four games (9.1 percent of the season), and Las Vegas was 29-11 in games she appeared in.

With that in mind, we begin with counting stats and per-game averages.

Per game stats

The per-game numbers help make each player's MVP case.

Wilson is one of just two players to average a double-double in 2025, and she was the league's scoring champion for the second straight season. Collier, who finished second in scoring, became just the second player in WNBA history to turn in a 50-40-90 season as she shot 53.1 percent from the field, 40.3 percent from 3-point range, and 90.6 percent from the free throw line.

As it pertains to wins and losses, it should not be overlooked that Las Vegas went 1-3 without Wilson while Minnesota went 7-4 in Collier's absence.

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Per 36 minutes stats

Given the league's tight rotations and 10-minute quarters, per-36 numbers don't hold as much weight. They are helpful as they even the playing field to get an idea of production over the same period.

Total stats

Wilson appeared in seven more games and, as such, has the edge in all total stats. The scoring and rebounding gaps are especially impacted, but it is worth noting that Collier's steals and assists are still comparable despite playing in so many fewer games.

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A'ja Wilson vs. Napheesa Collier advanced stats

Advanced stats are somewhat split, as Wilson has a higher player efficiency rating (PER), and her edge in win shares is likely related to playing in seven more games. Collier's shooting efficiency is unmatched, and she did so with a lower usage rate.