Wilson drops 34 as Aces tie franchise mark in 12th straight win

Michael VoepelAug 28, 2025, 03:59 AM

CloseMichael Voepel is a senior writer who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball and other college sports. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.

The Las Vegas Aces beat the Atlanta Dream 81-75 on Wednesday, tying a franchise record with their 12th victory in a row and moving into second place in the WNBA standings.

As has been the case throughout their red-hot August run, the Aces were led by A’ja Wilson with 34 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Teammate Jackie Young had her second triple-double of the season with 10 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds.

The Aces became the 10th WNBA team to win at least a dozen games in a row in a season. That includes the 2000 Los Angeles Sparks, who went 28-4 and had two 12-game winning streaks that year.

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The Las Vegas franchise also had a 12-game winning streak in 2012, when the team was still in San Antonio as the Silver Stars. Current Aces coach Becky Hammon was a starter on that San Antonio team, but said Wednesday she didn’t recall that streak, which spanned June 24 to Aug. 21, 2012. The Silver Stars finished 21-13 that season.

But of her 2025 Aces, who during July were battling to maintain a .500 record, Hammon said, “They’re making their presence felt.”

Wilson now has 11 games of 30 or more points this season, tying her career best set last year, when she won her third MVP award. The WNBA season record is 12 30-plus games, achieved by Wilson’s Aces teammate Jewell Loyd in 2023, when she played for Seattle, and the Minnesota Lynx’s Maya Moore in 2014.

According to ESPN Research, Wilson has the WNBA record for most games in a season with 30 or more points while shooting 60% or better from the field. This was her sixth such game, breaking a tie with Houston’s Cynthia Cooper, who had five in 1997, the WNBA’s inaugural season.

“I try to make my workouts and my practices very gamelike, so it’s familiar,” Wilson said about her efficiency. “I can figure out how to get to my spots and be productive for my team. That comes from understanding who I am and where I want to go.”

Wilson was 13-of-21 from the field Wednesday in Atlanta, including tying her season high with two 3-pointers.

Wilson joked after the game, “Don’t call me Curry,” in reference to NBA 3-point legend Stephen Curry. But her two long-range shots really were huge in turning the game in the Aces’ favor. With the score tied 48-48 with 2:55 left in the third quarter, Wilson hit the first of back-to-back 3s, then made a 10-footer for her own 8-0 run. Loyd closed out the quarter scoring five more points for a 61-48 lead.

The Aces held off the Dream’s comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, with Loyd and Chelsea Gray both hitting clutch 3-pointers in the final minute.

Now 26-14 this season, the Aces are 15-3 since the All-Star break and finished 12-1 in August. They have four games left in the regular season, including three at home, and don’t play again until Sept. 4. All eyes will be on that matchup against the first-place Lynx (30-7) in Las Vegas.

“This is our eighth game in 15 days. I was very concerned with our legs coming into this game,” said Hammon, whose team played its past three on the road. “When you talk about gears and that ability to kick it up an extra notch, we really have been able to do that on the defensive end. And it’s winning us games. Just really one of our quality team wins tonight: gut check, resiliency, toughness.”