Can Anyone Take the WNBA MVP From Breanna Stewart?

The WNBA season has reached the All-Star break, and it's been an impressive season, especially for two teams.

The Las Vegas Aces -- the defending champs -- and New York Liberty have been the top teams of the year, and much of that comes down to their superstar lineups. Those lineups include some of the heavy favorites for the WNBA MVP Award, and this is as good a time as any to break down the MVP betting market using the the WNBA odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Let's dig deeper into top five favorites.

Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: -320

There may be no better "cheat code" than New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart. The 2018 MVP has kicked off her Liberty career about as well as anyone could have asked for, and it's led to her being the heavy favorite for this season's MVP.

Stewie is currently averaging 23.1 points per game, which ranks second in the league (behind former teammate Jewell Loyd). She leads the league in rebounds at 9.8, just off averaging a double-double for the season. And if you need another stat to prove just how great Stewart has been in her age-28 season, just appreciate her 61.1% true shooting percentage -- the second-best clip of her career.

May 21st saw Stewart record 45 points in a single game, the seventh-most in a game in the history of the WNBA.

She's pushed the Liberty to the best record in the Eastern Conference (14-4), and assuming they can hold that prominent spot, Stewart has a great chance to end the season as a two-time MVP.

A'ja Wilson, F, Las Vegas Aces

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +320

The reigning MVP is the best player for the best team in the league. That matters.

A'ja Wilson is coming off a season for the ages but hasn't let up in her encore to try to win back-to-back MVPs. The two-time MVP has been outstanding again this campaign, averaging 19.9 points and 9.3 rebounds while pushing the Aces to an incredible 19-2 record.

Perhaps the only reason she trails Stewart -- even if Wilson is performing better in many areas this year compared to last year -- is that Las Vegas is just so good that you can almost underappreciate what Wilson is doing. If she wins the MVP, Wilson would be the first back-to-back MVP since Cynthia Cooper

Stewart does have the inside track, but if Stewart misses any time, Wilson will likely be the one cleaning up and taking the MVP. As of now, this is purely a two-player race between Wilson and Stewart.

Alyssa Thomas, F, Connecticut Sun

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1900

The Connecticut Sun have had to lean on Alyssa Thomas a bit more since the injury to Brionna Jones, and she's answering the call.

Despite +1900 odds that put her way behind this market's big two, Thomas deserves some love for the season she is having. While the Sun forward isn't putting up the same offensive numbers that Stewart or Wilson are, she is averaging a near triple-double at 15.1 points, 9.7 rebounds (second-best), and 8.1 assists (second-best) this season.

With the Sun just one game back of the Liberty for the Eastern Conference's top seed, Thomas could get a boost in this market if her squad is able to overtake the Liberty in the standings.

She's a longshot for a reason, but she deserves respect in the conversation.

Kelsey Plum, G, Las Vegas Aces

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +9500

Kelsey Plum had her breakout season in 2022 and has followed it up with another good year for the Aces.

Through 20 games, the Vegas guard is putting up quality numbers with 19.1 points per game to go along with 2.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. She's also shooting 50.0% from the field and is chipping in on defense with a steal per game.

Plum's season will likely get overshadowed because of how stacked the Aces are and how good Wilson -- Plum's teammate -- is. But without Plum, the Aces probably aren't the top dogs in the WNBA right now.

Jackie Young, G, Las Vegas Aces

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +11000

Much like Plum, Jackie Young has been having an impressive year on the best team in the league.

Young has been credited for her career-best season, getting selected as an All-Star Game starter after averaging 19.0 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 57.1% from the field through 21 games -- all career-high clips for her. She's also shooting a career-best 48.0% from three -- up from 43.1% last year -- which has only made her a bigger threat.

At +11000 odds, Young is unlikely to grab the MVP trophy, but she's been a key piece for Vegas and one of the WNBA's better players. The Aces' guard should continue to put her name on the map at the WNBA All-Star Game, and she has a big role to role for the remainder of the season as Las Vegas attempts to win another crown.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.