Pepper crowned 2026 NZNBL MVP

Perth Wildcats guard Elijah Pepper has capped a brilliant season in New Zealand by winning the 2026 Sal’s NBL Most Valuable Player award.

Pepper collected the League’s highest individual honour after leading the competition in scoring and guiding the Wellington Saints to the Grand Final.

Across 18 regular-season appearances, the 24-year-old averaged a League-best 28.7 points, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.9 steals per game.

He shot an impressive 52 per cent from the field, 37 per cent from three-point range and 84 per cent at the free-throw line, combining high-volume scoring with outstanding efficiency.

Pepper finished the regular season with 517 points, 96 rebounds, 86 assists and 52 steals, helping Wellington compile a 15-5 record and secure a top-four finish.

His 28.7 points per game were more than three points clear of the competition’s next-leading scorer and represented the highest Sal’s NBL scoring average since 2019.

The Wildcats sharpshooter also ranked third in steals and second in three-pointers made per game, connecting on 63 attempts from beyond the arc at an average of 3.5 per contest.

Pepper’s influence was central to a Saints offence that led the League at 100.4 points per game and outscored its opponents by more than 10 points per outing during the regular season.

He carried that form into the playoffs, playing a major role in Wellington’s run to the Grand Final.

The MVP recognition completes an outstanding awards haul for Pepper, who was also named to the 2026 Sal’s NBL All-Star Five and received the Keith Carr Trophy as the League’s Most Outstanding Guard.

The 2026 Sal’s NBL MVP was determined through regular-season voting involving the League’s head coaches and selected media representatives.

Pepper will rejoin the Wildcats’ pre-season squad following Sunday’s Grand Final, where the Wellington Saints will face the Southland Sharks at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill. The championship decider tips off at 1pm AWST