LAS VEGAS ACES’ A’JA WILSON UNANIMOUSLY WINS 2024 KIA WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD

Las Vegas Aces center-forward A’ja Wilson has been named the 2024 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player, the WNBA announced today.

This marks the record-tying third Kia WNBA MVP Award for Wilson, who also earned the honor in 2020 and 2022. She is the fourth player in WNBA history to win three MVPs, joining Sheryl Swoopes (2000, 2002 and 2005), Lisa Leslie (2001, 2004 and 2006) and Lauren Jackson (2003, 2007 and 2010).

Wilson received all 67 first-place votes (670 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, making her the first unanimous Kia WNBA MVP since the Houston Comets’ Cynthia Cooper in the league’s inaugural season of 1997.

Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (467 points) finished in second place, followed by New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (295 points) in third place, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (130 points) in fourth place and Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas (83 points) in fifth place. Players were awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, seven points for a second-place vote, five points for a third-place vote, three points for a fourth-place vote and one point for a fifth-place vote.

In her seventh WNBA season, Wilson averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.58 blocked shots and 1.79 steals in 34.4 minutes in 38 games. She ranked first in the WNBA in both points and blocks, second in rebounds, fifth in steals and fourth in minutes, setting career highs in all five per-game categories. Wilson also finished seventh in the league in field goal percentage (51.8) and 17th in free throw percentage (84.4).

The 6-4 Wilson broke the WNBA single-season record for scoring average, which had been set by Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi in 2006 (25.3 ppg). Wilson also set single-season records with 1,021 total points and 451 total rebounds. She is the first player to lead the WNBA in total points, rebounds and blocks (98) in a season.

Behind Wilson, the two-time defending WNBA champion Aces (27-13) earned the fourth seed in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google. Las Vegas will host the Seattle Storm in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series tonight at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

In the 2024 regular season, Wilson was named the Kia WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month four times (May, June, July and September) and the WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week six times (Weeks 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12). A six-time WNBA All-Star, Wilson played for the USA Women’s National Team in the 2024 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game before leading the United States to the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, where she was honored as the MVP of the tournament.

Additional highlights of Wilson’s 2024 season include:

*Recorded the two highest-scoring games of the WNBA season, with 42 points against the Dallas Wings on Aug. 27 and 41 points against the Mercury on Sept. 1.

*Scored at least 20 points in 89.5% of her games (34 of 38), a WNBA single-season record.

*Grabbed 9.8 defensive rebounds per game, the highest single-season average in WNBA history.

*Posted the third-highest rebounding average in a WNBA season (11.87), behind No. 1 Angel Reese (13.1 rpg with the Chicago Sky in 2024) and No. 2 Sylvia Fowles (11.88 with the Minnesota Lynx in 2018).

*Finished with 24 points and a career-high 20 rebounds against the Storm on July 10 for the first 20-20 game of her career.

*Became the second player in WNBA history to have at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in a game (vs. the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 30), joining Candace Parker (2008).

*Set WNBA single-season records for consecutive games with 20 or more points (15) and consecutive games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds (eight).

*Became the Aces’ franchise leader in both total points and total rebounds.

*Led the WNBA in steals-per-turnover ratio (1.42 to 1) and had a career-low 1.3 turnovers per game.

*In August, Wilson won the 2024 Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award for her dedication and positive impact on the community. Dawn Staley was the head coach for all four of Wilson’s seasons at the University of South Carolina, where the two won a national championship together in the 2016-17 season and Wilson was a four-time All-America Team selection.

Wilson was selected by the Aces with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm. She led the franchise to its first two WNBA championships, in 2022 and 2023, earning the WNBA Finals MVP Award last season. Among her accolades, Wilson has been the Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year, the Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year twice and an All-WNBA Team selection four times.

In honor of being named the 2024 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player, Wilson will receive $15,450 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.

2024 NABOB Black Media Summit taking place in Washington D.C.

The 2024 NABOB Black Media Summit in Washington, D.C., is the premier event for Black media leaders, agencies, CMOs, advertisers, and content creators. The event takes place OCTOBER 9-11, 2024 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C.

Attendees will elevate their business, network with innovators, and shape the future of Black media through collaboration and cutting-edge conversations. Don't miss this unparalleled opportunity to connect and grow within the industry.

This year's conference will showcase the 24th Annual Power of Urban Radio Forum and Awards Luncheon. This prestigious event will honor outstanding achievements in advertising and marketing to the Black consumer market, celebrating those who effectively utilize Black-owned media.

Learn more about the NABOB Black Media Summit here: https://nabob.org/nabobcon/

BET AND THE NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL JOIN FORCES TO MOBILIZE BLACK VOTERS FOR THE 2024 ELECTION

BET and The National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. (NPHC) are proud to announce the launch of the new BET 'We VOTE' Public Service Announcements (PSA) featuring all nine Black fraternities and sororities. These PSAs leverage the influence of the NPHC, affectionately known as "The Divine Nine," to drive awareness, encourage voter participation, and reinforce the importance of every vote in shaping our future.

Esteemed leaders representing the The National Pan-Hellenic Council of Presidents include:

• Dr. Willis L. Lonzer III – General President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
• Danette Anthony Reed – International President and CEO, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• Jimmy McMikle – Grand Polemarch, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
• Ricky Lawrence Lewis - Grand Basileus, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
• Elsie Cooke-Holmes – International President, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
• Hon. Chris V. Rey, J.D. – International President, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
• Dr. Stacie N.C. Grant – International President, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
• Marica Harris – International Grand Basileus, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
• Dr. Sean D. Housen, Sr. – International Grand Polaris, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

"The Council of Presidents is committed to supporting this important initiative with BET," said Hon. Chris V. Rey, J.D., International President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated and Chair of the NPHC Council of Presidents. "The vote is the most powerful tool in democracy, and we look forward to using our collective voices to help drive strong voter engagement and turnout."  

"BET is proud to highlight the Divine Nine and collaborate to ensure voters get the critical information they need about the election, including exercising our right to vote. We, like the Divine Nine, are committed to elevating the well-being of our community. Voting is one such mechanism in which to do so", said Kimberly Paige, CMO and Co-Lead of the BET Social Impact efforts.

BET created the 'We VOTE' effort to exclaim that we Vote for Ourselves, for Togetherness, for Everyone. It is this unifying theme that embodies BET's steadfast commitment to empowering all Black voters to harness their collective power to drive meaningful change.

The Divine 9 PSA is one of many being unveiled today. BET is proud to highlight nine emerging young leaders sharing their voices on the importance of voting. The nine leaders include the following (in alphabetical order):

• Demetris Causer - Voting Rights Attorney, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Inc.
• Marley Dias - #1000BlackGirlBooks Campaign
• Jared Evans - Voting Rights Lawyer, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Inc.
• Myles Hollingsworth - Student, Howard University and President, NAACP NY Youth & College Division
• Arnold Walter Ludd, Jr. - CEO & Founder, Jiggabite Gloves Up, Guns Down
• Christian Nathaniel Matthew - National President, National Action Network, Youth & College Division
• Chelsea Miller - Co-Founder, Freedom March NYC
• Jerome Richardson - Ambassador, Hip Hop Caucus
• L. Joy Williams - President, NAACP – Brooklyn, NY and Host, #SundayCivics Podcast

"We aim to raise awareness of the issues at stake through our efforts to educate the Black community and encourage voters to create and take action on their voting plan, whether it's early voting or on election day," said Tiyale Hayes, EVP of Insights and Co-Lead of the BET Social Impact efforts.

Produced for BET by The House of JOY (a Black and woman-owned firm), these latest creative spots are a testament to BET's ongoing efforts to elevate and educate the Black community, and ignite unprecedented civic engagement, voter registration, and turnout among Black voters in this critically important election.

To download the videos for your social media, please use the links below:

• Divine 9 Compilation PSA
  • :30 (16x9) - https://vimeo.com/1010706294
  • :30 (1x1) – https://vimeo.com/1010706202
  • :30 (9x16) - https://vimeo.com/1010705991

• Young Leaders Compilation PSA
  • :60 (16x9) - https://vimeo.com/1009715117
  • :60 (1x1) - https://vimeo.com/1009715739
  • :60 (9x16) - https://vimeo.com/1009715444

To learn more, go to BET.com/vote.

MLK III calls out Mark Robinson for past comments about Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King III called out North Carolina Lt. Gov. and GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson for comments he made about Martin Luther King, Jr. in 2011.Martin Luther King III's comments come after a CNN story reported on Robinson's disturbing posts on a porn site.

My statement on alleged comments made by Mark Robinson: pic.twitter.com/CbnTcw4i6L

— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) September 19, 2024

NAACP calling for North Carolina Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Mark Robinson to drop out of the race

CNN released a story claims that Mark Robinson, the North Carolina Republican candidate for governor used a username he allegedly used frequently online to make several inflammatory comments on a message board of a pornography website more than a decade ago, including one comment where he allegedly referred to himself as a "black NAZI! After the story was released the NAACP has now called for Mark Robinson to step down:

Anyone who identifies as a Black Nazi and supports reinstating slavery has no place running for governor.

We’re nonpartisan, but we’re not blind. And we speak out against what is wrong.

Mark Robinson: drop out. https://t.co/O2P5l6cK6E

— NAACP (@NAACP) September 19, 2024