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Dan Padover, general manager of the Atlanta Dream, has shattered league precedent by earning the 2025 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year honor — his third time winning the award, and the first executive in WNBA history to be so decorated. His leadership, roster moves, and vision played a central role in Atlanta’s resurgence to a franchise-best season, earning him widespread respect among his peers.

A Record-Setting Election in a Season of Rebirth

Padover first claimed the Executive of the Year title back in 2020 and again in 2021 while with the Las Vegas Aces. This 2025 win marks the first time any front office boss in the WNBA has captured the accolade three times. In 2025, he took Atlanta from rebuilding team to legitimate contender, spearheading offseason maneuvers and constructing a roster that tied for the second-best record in the league.

Voting was conducted among the general managers of the WNBA’s 13 current teams plus that of the Toronto Tempo, each submitting first-, second-, and third-place ballots (with GMs barred from voting for themselves). Padover appeared on all 12 ballots and secured eight first-place votes — a dominant showing.

By earning this award in Atlanta, Padover becomes the first executive to receive this honor with multiple franchises (Las Vegas and Atlanta), proving that his building model translates beyond a single environment.

Building a Turnaround: Moves That Mattered

Bold Free Agency & Trusted Acquisitions

Padover’s offseason strategy was aggressive. He orchestrated the addition of star talent — including Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones — to shore up interior presence and leadership. Meanwhile, he leaned into roster continuity by retaining core pieces like Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Jordin Canada.

He also backed in-house talent: Naz Hillmon, originally a Padover draft pick, earned the 2025 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year after delivering career-high performances off the bench. And rookie guard Te-Hina Paopao joined the rotation, giving the roster youthful depth and upside.

Coaching Gamble Pays Off

One of his riskier but ultimately defining moves was hiring Karl Smesko as head coach. Smesko had limited professional experience, yet under his guidance, the Dream soared. The alignment between Padover’s roster vision and Smesko’s system created cohesion and maximized growth.

Culture, Continuity, and Clarity

Perhaps just as important as signings and lines of play was how Padover built culture. He credited owners, staff, and players for sharing a unified vision and trusted process. His approach emphasized accountability, development, and balance between veterans and rising stars.

The result: a leap from the previous season’s performance to 30 wins — doubling their win total and setting a franchise high.

Why This Matters Beyond Awards

Era of Multi-Franchise Excellence

Winning Executive of the Year in two distinct markets validates Padover’s methods. It’s not just about loaded rosters — it’s about building systems, culture, and sustainable models. He’s no longer a flash-in-the-pan but a standard-bearer.

Franchise Identity Reset

The Dream hadn’t consistently been a contender in recent years, but under Padover’s direction, the narrative shifted. The team’s success in 2025 earned respect, relevance, and a proof point: Atlanta is no longer rebuilding; it’s competing.

Recognition of Internal Development

With Hillmon’s award, Paopao’s contributions, and the thriving core of Gray and Howard, Padover can point to internal growth as much as external acquisition. That balance is rare and difficult — and it bolsters the legitimacy of his evaluation acumen.

Raising the Bar for Front Offices

His win pushes front office expectations across the league. To compete, executives may need to match Padover’s willingness to take calculated risks, invest in culture, and fuse talent acquisition with development.

Dan Padover now stands atop the WNBA executive world. His third Executive of the Year award is more than recognition — it’s a statement about vision, process, and basketball truth. The Dream transformation under his watch is a model of modern team-building: bold, balanced, and built to last.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson has rewritten the WNBA record books: she’s become the league’s first player ever to win the MVP award four times, after securing the 2025 honor in a season that saw her team go from midseason uncertainty to one of the league’s elite. Wilson’s dominance on both ends of the court — scoring, rebounding, shot-blocking, leadership — helped carry the Aces on a 16-game win streak to close out the regular season. Her win not only tops legends like Sheryl Swoopes and Lisa Leslie, it confirms she’s in a league of her own this year.

MVP Milestone: What Makes Four So Special

A’ja Wilson’s 2025 MVP award marks her record-setting fourth in WNBA history — no one else has done it. Previous greats like Swoopes, Leslie, and Lauren Jackson each had three. Wilson clinched it with 51 of 72 first-place votes and 657 points in total from the panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Already having won MVP in 2020, 2022, and 2024, Wilson now adds 2025 and becomes the first to do back-to-back MVPs twice in her career. The consistency is staggering.

The Aces’ Rollercoaster: From Midseason Doubts to Winning Ways

The storyline this season is part grit, part comeback. Midseason, the Aces were 11-11 — a record that invited concerns from fans and analysts alike about playoff positioning and whether they could sustain a championship run. But then everything clicked. A’ja Wilson led the charge as Las Vegas rattled off 16 straight wins to close the regular season. They ended up with a 30-14 record and secured the second seed heading into the playoffs.

That stretch wasn’t just about wins; it was about how Wilson showed up night after night. She averaged 26.1 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 blocks during the streak. Tight defense, clutch scoring, and leadership under pressure.

Numbers That Back the Hype

Over the full season, Wilson led the league in scoring with 23.4 points per game, pulled down 10.2 rebounds per game, and was a defensive force. She also shared the Defensive Player of the Year award. Her ability to dominate both offense and defense this season made her selection nearly inevitable.

She set a new WNBA single-season record by logging 13 games with 30 or more points, pushing her scoring ceiling higher than ever.

Close Contenders: Collier, Thomas & the Others

Though Wilson took home the MVP, it was a competitive race. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier placed second in voting with 18 first-place votes and 534 points overall. Collier’s own season was stellar — strong shooting splits, consistent offense and rebounding.

Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas came in third, bringing her own strengths: playmaking, rebounding, leadership in tight games. Other players making noise included Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream and Kelsey Mitchell of the Indiana Fever.

What This Means for Wilson & the WNBA

A’ja Wilson’s fourth MVP establishes her not just as one of the best active players, but as perhaps the face of the league. Her ability to maintain elite performance, regardless of team ups and downs, proves her a standard-bearer.

Her dual MVP + Defensive Player of the Year recognition this season amplifies the achievement: she’s not just putting up points, she’s altering games on defense, protecting the rim, getting steals, blocks, and making opponents adjust. That blend of offense + defense + leadership is rare.

For the league, Wilson’s achievement gives a narrative anchor: a star to build around, especially if other big names are injured or in transitions. Her rise helps push the WNBA’s visibility, global reach, and credibility as a league with standout talents.

Looking Forward: Can the Aces Go All the Way?

With the momentum of 16 straight wins and Wilson in peak form, the Aces enter the playoffs in a strong position. Their first opponent will be the Indiana Fever in the semifinals — a challenge, but one that feels surmountable given their current rhythm.

Key questions remain: can Wilson maintain this form under playoff pressure? Can supporting cast — role players, bench, defense — step up to complement her? Injuries, strategy, stamina will play big parts.

If they succeed, there’s a chance we’ll remember 2025 as one of Wilson’s signature seasons — not just because of records, but because she lifted her team when they needed it most.

Legacy & Bigger Picture

With four MVPs in six seasons, Wilson now pushes past many legends in terms of 1) frequency of top performance, and 2) ability to stay at a peak over multiple years. Legends like Swoopes, Leslie, and Jackson had three each. She now holds solo history in that category.

Also, in terms of scoring games: setting single-season records for 30-point games, dominating during streaks, being two-way: these are the kinds of historical milestones that elevate a player beyond “just great” to “defining great.”

And socially, culturally, for young players — especially in women’s basketball — having someone like Wilson reach historic benchmarks matters. It pushes expectations, raises the bar, inspires younger players to see what’s possible.