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The Las Vegas Aces notched a 94–86 home win over the Connecticut Sun in a game that will go down in WNBA history — thanks to a historic performance from A’ja Wilson.
The three-time WNBA MVP powered the Aces with 32 points and a career-high 20 rebounds, becoming the first player in league history to record a double-double of 30-plus points and at least 20 rebounds in a single game.
“It’s huge,” Wilson told ESPN after the game. “I didn’t even know, as many greats as we have in this league, it’s kind of a shocker that it’s just now happening. It’s a blessing. I love what I do. I love what I do. I love it so much, so anytime that I can come out and just play basketball the way that I love it, and the team, and we’re all getting involved — I’m happy with that”.
Wilson is putting together an MVP-caliber campaign. Over her last three games, she’s averaging 29.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in 34.3 minutes per contest. The two-time WNBA champion also reflected on what it means to be the first player to achieve such a feat, while recognizing others could soon follow.
A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces shoots a free throw against the Connecticut Sun in the fourth quarter of their game. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“It’s pretty cool to have my name in the record books when it comes to that,” Wilson said. “I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a lot following up. So yeah, it’s pretty cool to kind of be the first one”.
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Wilson continues to impress
Wilson’s latest milestone comes as no surprise. This season, the Aces’ superstar became the fastest and second-youngest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 career points, while also ranking first in 30-point games since entering the league in 2018, per ESPN.
At 29, the two-time WNBA champion already owns a long list of records, yet she continues to prove there’s more to achieve. Her teammate Jackie Young said Wilson’s consistency — even against the toughest defensive schemes — is what sets her apart.
“Every night she shows up, and I think that’s why she’s so great at what she does,” Young said. “She’s a super hard worker, so it’s cool to see her hard work pay off. At the same time, they’re bringing double teams to her, triple teams to her, and she’s having to navigate that and play out of it. She’s still able to put up insane numbers every night“.
