Stewart, Wilson lead WNBA MVP candidates

With only a month remaining until the end of the WNBA regular season, teams are entering the final stretch looking to solidify their spots in the standings. While the Indiana Fever languish at the bottom of the standings at 5-20, only 1.5 games separate the 11th-place Minnesota Lynx and eighth-place Phoenix Mercury.

The last month of the season will also put a sharper focus on the MVP race as numerous candidates have emerged as contenders to take home that honour.

From superstars on contenders looking to lock their teams into home court advantage, to the players looking to drag their teams to a spot in the postseason, here are five players who have a case to be the league’s most valuable player.

Breanna Stewart – Seattle Storm

It’s almost impossible to find an area of the game that Breanna Stewart doesn’t impact for the Seattle Storm.

Offensively, she’s pacing the entire league in scoring at 20.9 points per game and she’s second in steals per game at 1.9. Stewart’s 20.9 PPG is her best since her MVP-winning season in 2018.

On the defensive side, she leads the Storm with 7.1 rebounds per game and is first in the league in win shares (5.0) and defensive rating (91.8).

Stewart has been Seattle’s best player all season long and the recent addition of Tina Charles has helped solidify the Storm’s depth as they push for the top spot in the standings.

A’ja Wilson – Las Vegas Aces

The 2020 WNBA MVP winner, A’ja Wilson is building a good case to take home 2022 honours.

Las Vegas’ offence has exploded under first-year coach Becky Hammon, with the Aces’ five starters all averaging 11-plus points per game this season.

With centre Liz Cambage departing to the Los Angeles Sparks, Wilson has shouldered more responsibility at the glass,