Sports
Aces star A’ja Wilson becomes first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a single season
Just days after setting the league’s single-season scoring record, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson made even more WNBA history.
Wilson, thanks to a 29-point outing in their 84-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday night at Michelob Ultra Arena, surpassed the 1,000-point mark this season. She is now the first player to hit four figures in a single season in WNBA history.
Wilson surpassed Seattle Storm All-Star Jewell Loyd and became the league’s single-season scoring leader on Wednesday night in their win over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Wilson entered that game just 12 points shy of the record, and she broke it before halftime.
Wilson is the overwhelming favorite to win the WNBA’s MVP award this season, which would be the third of her career. She is averaging a league-best 27 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Her 27 points per night is nearly five full points more than anyone else is scoring in the league, too. Wilson is averaging 21 points per game throughout her career, which is tied with Cynthia Cooper for the best output in WNBA history.
Only Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is averaging more rebounds per game than Wilson is this season. While that won’t change in the final week, Wilson is closing in on Reese’s single-season rebounding record. Reese racked up 446 rebounds this summer before her season-ending wrist injury. Wilson has a career-high 444 rebounds with two games left in the regular season.
Wilson had nine rebounds and went 13-of-25 from the field in the Aces’ 13-point win on Sunday night. They led the entire second half and broke open a 20-point lead near the end of the third quarter before hanging on for the win down the stretch. It marked the team’s third straight win and the seventh in their last eight games. They now hold a 25-13 record, and sit in fourth in the league standings. They will close out the regular season against the Seattle Storm and Dallas Wings this week. The Sun fell to 27-11 on the year, and they sit in third in the standings with a two game lead over the Aces.
While it may not be possible to improve their postseason seeding, Wilson and the Aces are looking like they are in peak form on their quest to win a third straight WNBA title this fall.