rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces fell short of a potential three-peat last year after losing to the eventual champions New York Liberty in the WNBA semifinals. On Monday, the 2024 season MVP made her feelings known about the season.
In an interview with Callie Fin of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, A’ja Wilson said that the 2024 Aces were not made for a championship, unlike previous editions. Wilson indicated that she remained optimistic throughout the season but acknowledged that they did not get to where she wanted the team to be in the playoffs:
“It wasn’t a championship locker room…I mean, out the gate, going into training camp, I was like, ‘We ain’t got it,’” Wilson said. “I always told myself every game, ‘We’re gonna get there, we’re gonna check (each) box.’ But we didn’t.”
While A’ja Wilson was being candid in answering a question, WNBA fans disliked how she said it. Many took umbrage with Wilson’s comments, while others felt she was blaming her teammates, and they took to X to share their thoughts:
“Most irritating athlete of all time,” one fan said.
“Disgusting behavior throwing your teammates under the bus,” said another fan.
“They’re acting like we forgot they ran a whole campaign talking about ‘Aces vs everybody,’” wrote one fan.
Others pointed out how stacked the Aces roster was in 2024, which included the likes of Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and Alysha Clark, all of whom played in the prior season’s title run.
“Kinda crazy thing to say out loud, after running it back largely with your b2b champions squad,” said another fan.
“I like A’ja Wilson but this is an insane thing to say when your team had 4 Olympians in the starting lineup. Seems like a bad attitude to have honestly.,” another fan wrote.
“Evidently, 4 US Olympians is just not enough,” another commented.
Aside from Wilson, only two other players averaged double digits for the season in Las Vegas. Those players were Kelsey Plum, who averaged 17.8 points per game, and Jackie Young, who posted 15.8. Wilson put up 26.9 points, and 11.9 rebounds for the Aces last season as the team’s focal point offensively en route to being the MVP.
A’ja Wilson reveals what Aces will miss in the locker room after Kelsey Plum’s exit
The Aces traded their second-best scorer, Kelsey Plum, in January to the LA Sparks in exchange for Jewell Loyd. A’ja Wilson has since reacted to the team’s trade, revealing what the Aces would miss next season following Plum’s departure from the team. Here’s what she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal this week:
“In the locker room, she was always someone that spoke her mind. You need that honesty in the locker room. We’re definitely gonna miss her.”
Wilson lauded Plum for being a workhorse for the team and emphasized how crucial she was in the team’s locker room. Even without Plum, the Aces are expected to continue being one of the top contenders for the 2025 WNBA season and it will be interesting to see if that is the case.
Edited by John Maxwell
