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Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson added another piece of WNBA history to what has been a remarkable 2024 season.
The two-time WNBA MVP became the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a season. She achieved the feat Sunday at home against the Connecticut Sun. With just a few minutes left in the fourth quarter, Wilson knocked down a fadeaway jumper from the elbow of the key as her teammates and and the home crowd erupted.
The celebration continued after the Aces got a convincing 84-71 win over the Sun. Wilson danced with her teammates, and she was presented with the game ball alongside her parents.
Wilson’s milestone came days after she set the single-season record for the most points scored in a season. On Wednesday against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, she passed Jewell Loyd’s record of 939 points, which th Seattle Storm star set last season.
It’s widely expected Wilson will be named the WNBA’s most valuable player this season after winning the award in 2020 and 2022. She averages a league-high 27 points and 2.6 blocks per game. Her 12 rebounds per game are second in the WNBA behind Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese. Reese set the WNBA single-season record for rebounds in a season, but Wilson can also claim that record as well; she just needs three rebounds in the final two games to take it over.
Should Wilson win MVP, she win be the fourth player in league history to win it three times, joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
A’ja Wilson’s emotional reaction in locker room
After the on-court festivities, Wilson had a more private moment of reflection with her Aces teammates.
“I hope y’all know how much I love each and every last one of y’all,” she said before becoming overcome with emotion. “Y’all will never understand how much y’all mean to me because there’s days where I hate being A’ja Wilson. I hate it. But when I come in to work and I see y’all smiling and I see y’all just happy, (it) makes me who I am.”
A’ja Wilson’s coach, Olympic teammate offer praise
Aces head coach Becky Hammon said she wanted Wilson to eclipse the 1,000-mark in front of the home crowd so she could “get the love that she deserves.”
“She’s dominant on both ends, and that is a rare player. She’s just a super humble human being, and she’s about the right things all the time. She’s always about her teammates, and she’s always about winning,” Hammon said. “I think A’ja is a great example of making everybody great around her.”
Phoenix Mercury guard and fellow Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi said Sunday following the Mercury’s win over the Chicago Sky that Wilson is “changing the evolution” of a post player and continues to get better on all facets on the floor.
“I’ve gone back and forth, and I can probably say she’s the best rebounder I’ve ever seen. Hands down. And when you can secure the ball for your team, you’re always going to give your team a chance to win,” Taurasi said. “She’s just playing out of her mind, and she’s going to continue to do it because she loves the game.
Contributing: Nancy Armour, Ellen J. Horrow
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