Last season, Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson helped guide the team to its second straight championship. In addition to capturing her second title, the Aces became the first team to win back-to-back titles in 21 years. The last team to accomplish that feat was the Los Angeles Sparks back in 2001-02.
As the team embarked upon the 2024 campaign, it has not had the same level of success as the previous two seasons. The Aces went 26-10 in 2022 and 34-6 in 2023. Despite their dominant win over the Seattle Storm on Wednesday night, Las Vegas is just 7-6 through the team’s first 13 games.
A’ja Wilson Is a Scoring Machine
As has been the case for most of this season, Wilson put together another spectacular performance. She finished with 27 points on 11-for-18 shooting from the field. But the story does not end there. The two-time champion also tallied nine rebounds and three assists. Wilson recorded four steals and two blocked shots at the floor’s defensive end. That is what makes her one of the best two-way players in the WNBA.
With another 20-plus point performance on her resume, Wilson is the only WNBA player to score at least 20 points in every game this season. Not only that, but she is also averaging a career-best 27.9 points per contest. While her scoring is phenomenal, this is not the only area where Wilson excels. Not by a long shot.
Las Vegas Aces Forward Dominating in Efficiency
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How about efficiency? Some players can make huge numbers, but it takes a high shot volume. Well, that is not the case with Wilson. She is nearly unstoppable in the paint as he converts 61.7 percent of her attempts in the restricted area. Albeit a limited sample size, Wilson is shooting 43.8 percent from beyond the arc on 1.2 attempts per contest.
This included a 44 percent conversion rate with the right corner three and a 48 percent rate with the left corner 3s. While her shooting efficiency has dipped slightly from 2023, she still shoots 52.3 percent from the floor. Based on these numbers, Wilson has proven to be a tough cover from nearly every spot on the floor.
Next, let’s examine what she brings to the Aces regarding rebounding. She leads Las Vegas in rebounding, hauling in a whopping 11.3 boards per contest. This average is also tops in the league as well and is a career-high for the seven-year veteran.
On the defensive end of the court, the narrative is just as impressive. She leads Las Vegas in blocks with 2.5 per contest. This mark is a close second to Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor, who leads the WNBA with 2.6 blocks per outing. Wilson has recorded at least one block in every game this season except for the Aces’ 100-86 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in the Commissioner’s Cup matchup on June 11. That is quite an impressive streak, to say the least.
Wilson Is Checking Off All the Boxes
Lastly, A’ja Wilson also leads the Aces in steals with 1.8 per contest. Earlier, it was mentioned that she collected four steals in the team’s recent win over the Storm. However, that was not even the most steals she has had in a game this season. That feat occurred a few weeks ago in a 95-81 win over the Dallas Wings. Wilson finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals in that contest, once again proving that she has many facets to her game.
In an ESPN interview back in 2023, Wilson commented on her defense, saying:
“It just takes a lot of pride, understanding where I am, and knowing the personnel. I’m not trying to be the world’s best [shot blocker], but if I can contain to help my guards or force a missed shot, I’m happy with that. People always say defense starts with the heart. I try to have as much heart as I can. I like to take that challenge of ‘Can I guard a 5? Can I guard a 1?’ I try to go out there and prove it every time.”
As WNBA reporter Jordan Robinson mentioned in her recent article, the world is witnessing an “unprecedented” level of WNBA greatness.
If Wilson can sustain this level of play for the remainder of the season, the Aces should reclaim their status as one of the best teams in the “W.”
About the Author
James Tillman III is an accounting professional by trade, but sports writing is his passion. In addition to doing betting content for Total Apex Sports, James has over 15 years of experience publishing online sports content with multiple outlets, such as FanSided, Odds USA, Onlinebetting.com (OBCOM), Godzilla Wins, and Give Me Sport.
Most of James’s content focuses on the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. He researches various trends to support his picks and ensures that he provides his audience with the information they need to make informed decisions about upcoming games.
