Fifty-one to eighteen. No, that’s not the score of a JV basketball blowout; that’s the first-place MVP vote count. A’ja Wilson, after carrying the Las Vegas Aces all season, made history by winning her fourth MVP award before the age of 30. Still, Napheesa Collier’s season was equally remarkable. Collier averaged nearly 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists while leading the Minnesota Lynx to the #1 seed, making her a strong competitor throughout the race. So what changed?

While we can’t change the decision of the voters, this MVP race has posed quite an interesting question: Up until the very end of the season, it seemed like A’ja Wilson and the rest were running for second place behind Collier. The sudden shift in momentum and vast difference are striking. So was the Minnesota Lynx star a victim of favoritism, or was A’ja rightly judged? Let’s find out.

Was Napheesa Collier snubbed of her first MVP? A quick look at the stats

Before we get into anything else, there’s one important stat line to read out… Napheesa Collier managed a 50/40/90 season, something that only Elena Delle Donne accomplished previously, and still didn’t win MVP. Cheryl Reeve put it best: “It’s only been done once before, and that player was the MVP. Phee deserves that recognition.” Regardless of whatever caused the shift in momentum for A’ja, this monumental accomplishment deserved recognition, which ultimately? It failed to get.

On paper, Collier ticked every box imaginable. The Lynx star was averaging 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks a game on crazy efficiency. Alongside that, she led the Lynx to an incredible 34-10 record, cementing her position as the best player on the best team in the entire league. But you can’t deny A’ja Wilson’s claim either.

The reigning MVP, regardless of pressure from critics and fans alike, didn’t ease up on her two-way production this year. A’ja posted an average of 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game on 50/42/85 shooting splits. Not to mention, she was the focal point of the dominant Aces offense.

For most of the season, Wilson was a distant afterthought when compared with Collier, but an ankle sprain turned things around really quickly. Napheesa Collier ended up missing seven games in August, losing some of her hard-won momentum. But the Aces star never faltered. A’ja Wilson put up 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks over the seven-game stretch. Her incredible two-week run included four 30-point performances, including a record-breaking 30-point, 20-rebound double-double.

Considering Wilson’s performances, I can’t, in good faith, say that Collier was robbed of an MVP… because that’s just not the right way to look at it. The Minnesota Lynx star rewrote the WNBA’s history books with her accomplishment this season, and you can’t help but feel bad for her coming in second place. However, to say that A’ja Wilson didn’t deserve it would be unfair to her as well.

This MVP race, as legendary as it was, came down to bad luck juxtaposed with good timing for Collier and Wilson, respectively. But did their teams’ respective offensive structures and systems play a role in this award? Let’s take a look.

The Aces’ overreliance might have manufactured an MVP for A’ja Wilson

Here’s the thing: You take Napheesa Collier out of the equation for Minnesota, and they still win games. But if you do the same for Las Vegas? Well, the equation starts to change. There’s no doubting that both teams are similar in terms of their statistical dominance, ranking as the #1 and #2 seeds, respectively. However, the way they get to the winning column is completely different.

The way Becky Hammon runs her offense through A’ja Wilson reminds me of the Doug Collins-era Chicago Bulls. A’ja Wilson has a much higher usage rate than anyone else on the team, and she’s always their very first option to score or defend. “She’s the only person in the gym and in the world that’s both a lion and a gazelle. She can dance around you, or she can eat you up physically and dominate you. The way she does it on both ends.“ Hammon had said about her star player, summing up exactly what her purpose is on the Aces.

But Collier prefers a much lower-key role while playing for Cheryl Reeve in Minnesota. The six-foot-one forward takes every good opportunity in front of her, but doesn’t mind when her teammates get to work, too. Collier doesn’t need the spotlight to be effective and is more concerned about winning games and rings after last year’s finals loss.

Although the Aces’ dependence on Wilson might’ve put her in a better position to win MVP, it also means that the team will be helpless if she, alongside Jackie Young, has a bad day. And there is never a doubt that the Rings will always have more weightage than any other award, so Napheesa Collier still has the chance to get even. Will the Minnesota Lynx star be able to avenge her MVP loss and reach the promised land this year? Stay tuned to find out!