OT: WNBA MVP...WNBA champ

[Blakeon18]

Napheesa seemed to be the clear favorite for quite a while...her missed games didn't help but she has played well
in her return.

Wilson has been fantastic of late....leading her team to 14 wins in a row...playing just great.

Toss in Alyssa Thomas perhaps who is getting triple doubles galore....averaging
for the season about 16/9/9.

The WNBA finals may involve Napheesa's and Wilson's teams which would be a fantastic match-up.

 

[bballnut90]

I think at this point it's Wilson due to Collier missing so many games. Wilson right now is:
-1st in points
-2nd in rebounds
-1st in blocks
-3rd in steals

Phee's numbers are excellent too and she would be the front runner right now if she didn't miss nearly 1/4 of the season. I just can't see voters choosing someone who has missed so many games when there are other players (Wilson and Thomas) having comparable MVP caliber seasons too.

 

[fomalhaut]

The recent run by Wilson and the Aces has pretty much locked it up.

 

[Cuango]

I have to disagree with you on this one. Phee only missed seven games this season. That is not close to a quarter of the season. A’ja missed three games as well but I just think Phee has clearly been the best player in the League and I’ll be very surprised if she does not win her first MVP award! Yes, Wilson has been superlative recently, but I tend to think they will reward Phee for her own excellent play over the course of a whole season!

 

[GoldenGophs]

Phee is resting for tomorrow's game so I think that locks up the MVP vote for Wilson. I think MVP should be Phee but what do I know? Recency bias is definitely a factor.

 

[snlMINAJ]

I have to disagree with you on this one. Phee only missed seven games this season. That is not close to a quarter of the season. A’ja missed three games as well but I just think Phee has clearly been the best player in the League and I’ll be very surprised if she does not win her first MVP award! Yes, Wilson has been superlative recently, but I tend to think they will reward Phee for her own excellent play over the course of a whole season!

she missed 7 with the ankle injury, but earlier in the season she missed 2-3-4 games or so - maybe shoulder or knee...

 

[bballnut90]

I have to disagree with you on this one. Phee only missed seven games this season. That is not close to a quarter of the season. A’ja missed three games as well but I just think Phee has clearly been the best player in the League and I’ll be very surprised if she does not win her first MVP award! Yes, Wilson has been superlative recently, but I tend to think they will reward Phee for her own excellent play over the course of a whole season!

Phee has missed 10 games, which puts her at missing 22.7% of the season. If WNBA were to use NBA award guidelines, Collier would be ineligible for post season awards (NBA allows players to miss up to 20.7% of the season). I'm not sure where voters stand or if each voter will use their own criteria for award picks.

Collier was the clear best player in the first half of the season, but Wilson has been head and shoulders better than anyone in the league the second half of the season. On the year their numbers are very comparable, but I think missing so many games works against Phee's chances. No other MVP in league history has come close to missing as many games as Collier has.

Worth noting: Alyssa Thomas is also good dark horse pick who is putting up career numbers and has turned around a slumping Phoenix franchise:
15.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 53.3% FG

 

[Cuango]

she missed 7 with the ankle injury, but earlier in the season she missed 2-3-4 games or so - maybe shoulder or knee...

Mea Culpa! However, I still think she will win the MVP.

 

[GoldenGophs]

At this point, I don't care who wins MVP but I do find it odd to have Dawn Staley and other South Carolina alumni going off that no none but A'Ja is MVP and that if someone else is chosen that it is due to "funny stuff in the air". I'm more concerned about finals MVP and if the Lynx have anything to say about that, Collier will take that crown.

 

[Bald Husky]

I think it should be Phee, but if it is, get ready for a lot of crying from Wilson, just as she did when Phee won the defensive POY last year. She thinks she deserves everything, but being entitled doesn't mean she is the best. Phee has been great from the opening game, and being on the #1 seed in the playoffs does not hurt her chances.