At the conclusion of the 2023 WNBA season, the Las Vegas Aces emerged victorious once again, securing their second consecutive title with A’ja Wilson being named Finals MVP. Wilson, however, had a message for those who had voted her fourth for MVP.
During the team’s championship rally, Wilson graciously thanked those who had placed her lower in the MVP rankings, stating, “Whoever you are out there that voted me fourth, thank you. Thank you so much. I wanna say I appreciate you, ’cause that just means that I got a lot more work to do.”
Despite the 2024 Aces not meeting expectations, Wilson has continued to shine on the court. Promising to return as an improved player in her seventh WNBA season, Wilson has lived up to her word.
Already a two-time MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, Wilson has now made history by setting the record for the most points scored in a single season. During a game against the Indiana Fever, Wilson surpassed Jewell Loyd’s previous record of 939 points by scoring her 941st point in the second quarter.
The WNBA regular season expanded to 40 games in the past two years, allowing for more opportunities to break records. Despite this, Wilson’s impressive statistics stand out even without the additional games. With 929 points through 34 games, Wilson has exceeded the previous scoring record held by Diana Taurasi in 2006, averaging 27.3 points per game.
With only 83 points needed in the final five games to achieve the highest-scoring average in a WNBA season, surpassing Taurasi’s mark of 25.3, Wilson is also leading the league in defensive rebounds, blocks, turnover percentage, and win shares. She is the clear frontrunner for the MVP title.
Aces coach Becky Hammon praised Wilson’s exceptional performance, acknowledging her all-around skills on the court. Wilson’s career trajectory also puts her in contention to surpass Taurasi as the league’s all-time leading scorer, with a better scoring average at this stage of her career.
While Wilson remains focused on helping the Aces secure a third title, she continues to set individual records along the way. Her unprecedented success and impact on the game highlight her status as one of the WNBA’s all-time greats.
(Photo: Justin Casterline / NBAE via Getty Images)
