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An all-time performance and stat-line by A'ja Wilson blessed the Las Vegas Aces in their 97-79 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. The 28-year-old former No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 WNBA Draft joined Candace Parker as the only WNBA players to post 40+ points and 15+ rebounds. Wilson finished the contest with 41 points on 16-of-23 shooting, 17 rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. The Aces now hold a 20-12 record, good enough for the No. 4 seed with the postseason eight games away.
Wilson gets the job done on both sides of the court. She leads the league in points per game (27) and blocks per game (2.7).
A'JA WILSON IS IN ELITE COMPANY 🤩
A'ja joins Candace Parker as the only WNBA players with a 40 PT, 15 REB performance 💪 pic.twitter.com/bz5VfMqWk5
— ESPN (@espn) September 1, 2024
Wilson, already a two-time WNBA champion, is well on her way to a potential third WNBA MVP award. She is a -3500 favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook for the award with the next best contender, Napheesa Collier, at +3000. WNBA legend Sue Bird has said publicly that she likes Wilson's chances, via The Spun.
“What I find interesting about MVP conversations is that they change each year based on standings or if a team is considered to be overachieving or underachieving,” Bird told The Spun when asked about Wilson and her pursuit of another MVP award. “The criteria can all change from year to year.”
The legacy-building performances and WNBA achievements of Aces star A'ja Wilson
Wilson's already had an incredible year. She led all USA women's basketball players in scoring at the 2024 Paris Olympics. That marked her second gold medal after taking home the hardware at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was named the FIBA Women's Olympics MVP in 2024.
She was twice named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. Wilson is a six-time WNBA All-Star and three-time All-WNBA First Team.
Her 41-point performance on Sunday gave her four career 40+ point games and the second time in the last three games. She also is tied for the record for the most points scored in a WNBA game (53, Liz Cambage)
If she wins another MVP, she will join Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson as the only three-time winners.
Aces coach Becky Hammon praised her player last week.
“That woman is something else; she's cut different. Steph Curry shooting threes, he makes it look easy. That stuff is difficult that he’s doing and I think [Wilson is] a similar special generational talent.”
With about two and a half weeks left in the WNBA season, Wilson has eight games left to push the Las Vegas Aces to a higher playoff seed.
