A’ja Wilson has been foot-to-gas since opening tip-off. The six-year vet has had a history-making, record-breaking, absurd start to this season. She has ascended into a class of her own; it’s been otherworldly. When we saw Wilson rocking a platinum silver lace-front wig for Las Vegas Aces media day in May, did we truly expect anything different? It was giving Storm from X-Men, one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe. Wilson, who is already a two-time MVP and Finals MVP, has somehow gained more on-court superpowers this year.
A’ja Wilson at the free throw line during Seattle Storm vs. Las Vegas Aces matchup. Wilson finished with a 29/11 double-double (June 7, 2024)
TOP-TIER SCORER
As Wilson tells it in M’VP: A Champ’s Diary, she was out shopping when she saw a purse she liked. “Oh, that bag is top tier,” the sales associate said. It wasn’t top shelf, and it was something beyond that. It was rare and special. Since then, Wilson has made it her mission to be just that.
“The standard is top tier,” she told Boardroom. “When you think of top-tier, top-shelf, it’s things that are up there for a reason. And that is my standard.”
At a league-best 28.3 points per game, Wilson continues to show us the level of greatness she exudes. After her third 30-point performance of the season against the Sparks, Wilson has scored at least 20 points for the 14th consecutive game, setting a new WNBA record. She also became the third-fastest player to reach 4,000 career points Sunday, only behind Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart.
Question marks loomed over the Aces, who are still without starting point guard Chelsea Gray. Will their offense suffer? Who’s going to get the ball into Wilson? But A’ja’s aggressiveness on the offensive end silenced those. There’s no question who the star of this league is; Wilson has gone out and dominated inside the paint (67.4% in the restricted area), swishing it from mid-range (46.4%) and even drilling it from deep (41.7%).
Vegas has already notched their fourth season loss, which last year didn’t come until August. But, Wilson says she’s not satisfied after leading her team to back-to-back WNBA championships. She wants more. She knows they’re not at full strength—Gray, Jackie Young, and Kierstan Bell were all sidelined this week—but come September and October, they’ll be clicking and stacking wins; that’s when it truly counts.
Wilson, 28, considers herself a “GOAT-in-Training,” but with eye-popping numbers like these and potentially en route to earning her third MVP award (and third champ ring) in five years, she’ll be in the GOAT conversations sooner than she thinks.
RIM PROTECTOR
A few weeks back, versus the Dream, Allisha Gray had a fast break against Kelsey Plum in the first quarter. She briefly gets past Plum for what, she thought, was an easy two points. But, Wilson’s help-side swat sent Gray’s shot into the stands. It was nasty, egregious even, to do that to your former college roommate. Wilson then let out a primal roar as they scurried to find the ball to put it back in play.
That’s what she does. Wilson is protecting the rim at all costs. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year has blocked a shot in 18 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league. Against the Sparks on Sunday, she finished with six blocks, one shy of her career best.
In her monster 36-point, 12-rebound romp over Dallas—through a bleeding nose, bruised eye, and lost contact lens—Wilson also snatched a career-best six steals in the contest.
“It just takes a lot of pride, understanding where I am and knowing the personnel,” Wilson told ESPN in 2023 about her defense. “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.”
Defense is about disruption. Disrupting shots, passes, cuts, and Wilson is a disruptor, and it starts from within.
“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,” she continued. “People always say defense starts with the heart. I try to have as much heart as I can.”
LEADER
Aces rookie Kate Martin sat at the press conference podium after her first-career start against Los Angeles. Wilson to her right, and head coach Becky Hammon to her left.
“I’m sitting next to the best player in the world,” Martin said, nodding Wilson’s direction. “And not only is she the best player in the world, she’s the best leader I’ve ever been around…she brings people together. She has so much confidence in every single person on our team, and that just builds up our locker room so much.”
All three of them are now smiling. Martin continued: “For the best player in the world to say keep shooting it, I feel on top of the world.”
The Aces’ locker room is most desired. Between their laugh-out-loud pranks, pre-game dance battles, or in-game antics, they’re having a really good time. Winning contributes to that, but having a leader like Wilson, who is taking care of business on and off the court, makes for an easy follower. Yes, she dominates the box scores, but she’s also dominating in the areas we aren’t always privy to. She’s pouring into her teammates—buying them birthday cakes and tiaras—and instilling confidence in them (how can we forget about the incredible mic’d up moment to Jackie Young during a slump, “Shoot it. What’s the worst that can happen? We get paid to shoot!”). All things that build team morale. It’s clear they want to win with her and for her.
A’ja’s dad, Roscoe, said it best—she has an unwavering desire to be excellent. We’re currently witnessing unprecedented WNBA greatness, and we’re only a quarter of the way through the season. Wilson is on the top tier all by herself.
WNBA reporter Jordan Robinson writes columns onWNBA.comthroughout the season and can be reached on Twitter at@HeyJordanR. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the WNBA or its teams.
