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A'ja Wilson wins record fifth WNBA MVP; Caitlin Clark's ballot omissions draw criticism

The WNBA announced on Thursday that Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson won her fifth MVP award. Fox News's coverage centred on Caitlin Clark finishing fourth and being left off 19 ballots.

3 outlets · 0L · 1C · 2R First reported Account updated
Image: Newsweek
Image: IJR
Image: Fox News

1 / 3

The story, neutrally told

Mixed · 2The WNBA announced on Thursday 8 October that Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson won the 2026 MVP award, a record fifth. Mixed · 2Wilson received 65 of the 74 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, so the vote was not unanimous. Centre · 1Newsweek says it is her third MVP in a row, the first three-year streak in WNBA history. Lisa Leslie, Lauren Jackson and Sheryl Swoopes each won three times.

Mixed · 2Wilson, 30, averaged 26.2 points per game, which Newsweek says is the second-best average in WNBA history behind her own 26.9 in 2024. Newsweek also says she was the first player to average 25 points while shooting 50% overall and 40% from three. Fox News adds that she averaged 9.4 rebounds, led the league in points and blocks per game, and helped Las Vegas win 31 games. Mixed · 2Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles finished second, followed by Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell and teammate Caitlin Clark. Fox News reports point totals of 442 for Miles, 287 for Mitchell and 212 for Clark. Right · 1Fox News reports that Clark appeared on 55 ballots, with one first-place vote, and was left off 19 ballots entirely.

Right · 1Fox News says Clark averaged 22.3 points and 8.3 assists, the first WNBA season averaging at least 20 and eight. It also says she had 891 points and 333 assists in 40 games, and 45 points and 10 assists against Seattle on 17 July. Right · 1The Fox News piece is an opinion column. It calls leaving Clark outside the top five "borderline malpractice" and says the 19 voters should explain themselves. It also says Wilson "probably deserved to win" and that Clark's popularity does not entitle her to the award. The column criticises several media figures' coverage of Clark, while acknowledging this does not show who omitted her. Centre · 1Wilson's season continues. The Aces trail the Golden State Valkyries 2-0 in the WNBA semifinals, and Game 3 is on Friday.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre1 outlet

Framing
Celebratory record-book story on Wilson's historic season and MVP vote.
Emphasis
Wilson's streak, scoring records and the Aces' playoff status.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention Clark's statistics or the ballot omissions in any detail.
Charged language
“How outstanding.”
For example
“At this rate, the WNBA might as well put Wilson's name in the title of the history book.” — Newsweek

Right2 outlets

Framing
Opinion column that treats the result as a snub of Clark, with criticism of the voters and sports media.
Emphasis
Clark's statistics, the 19 ballots without her and criticism of media coverage of her.
Leaves out or plays down
Gives little detail on Wilson's record streak or the Aces' playoff series.
Charged language
“borderline malpractice”“snubbed”
For example
“Nineteen voters decided a historic combination of scoring and playmaking wasn't worth even a fifth-place vote.” — Fox News