WNBA MVP race wide open -- fans' vote may count for a lot

Angel McCoughtry of the Atlanta Dream and Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever are both in the running for MVP. (Photo by Andrew Snook)

Once again, WNBA fans have a voice when it comes to the league’s MVP.

Granted, it’s not exactly a Kelly Clarkson-sized voice (41 other individuals will also fill out a ballot), but it’s a voice nonetheless. And on top of that, one lucky fan voter will get a free trip to one game in this fall’s WNBA Finals.

The on-line voting booth at http://www.wnba.com/mvpvote is open now, and will remain open until Sunday, Sept. 23, and of course, ballots can be cast from mobile phones as well as from more mundane, if not downright outdated, devices such as desktop computers.

This will be the second time fans have been part of the MVP process, and given the odd nature of this year’s season, that one vote could turn out to be crucial.

Usually, there are one of two possible MVPs: 1) The best player on the best team; or 2) a player having a clearly spectacular season for a lesser team. Cynthia Cooper (1997, 1998) would be an example of the first category, and Yolanda Griffith (1999) would be an example of the second.

But this year’s best team is Minnesota, and who is the Lynx’ best player? Seimone Augustus? Maya Moore? Lindsay Whalen? Rebekkah Brunson? Or even Taj McWilliams-Franklin? It’s reasonable to expect that all, except maybe Mama Taj, will get some votes, but none is an overwhelming favorite.

Angel McCoughtry might be the best player, but she’s missed games, pouted, been suspended and apparently forced out a veteran coach, which will make it hard for her to get enough love to win. Diana Taurasi has battled injuries all season, and Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson haven’t played at an MVP level this summer (and Jackson missed the first half of the season anyway).

Tina Charles might be a good call, but then again Kara Lawson has also played very well for Connecticut. Tamika Catchings is having another fine season, and she’s won the award in 2011, so she’s a possibility too.

Kristi Toliver? Candace Parker? Someone completely off the wall?

It’s definitely going to be an controversial selection, no matter who it is, and it’s possible a single vote could determine the winner – so even if the fans have a very small voice, it could turn out that it speaks very loudly when all is said and done.