The season is not even a month old yet, but A’ja Wilson appears on track to win her third WNBA MVP award.
Wilson made WNBA history Wednesday night during the Las Vegas Aces’ 95-81 win over the Dallas Wings in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, helping the Aces improve to 5-2 on the year.
Wilson, who was hit in the face three times during the game, finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds and six steals on just under 70 percent shooting from the field, making her the first player in league history to record at least 35 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in a single game.
The Aces quickly defeated the Wings at College Park Center in Arlington. The Aces started the game on a 22-6 lead, with Wilson scoring 12 of the Aces’ first 20 points. Dallas trailed by five by halftime, but Wilson scored 30 of his 36 points by the end of the third quarter to put them back up by double digits. From there, the Aces hung in there until the end to pull away with the win.
Kelsey Plum added 20 points in the Aces’ victory. Jackie Young finished with 19 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Wilson was outstanding, shooting 15-of-22 from the field and dishing out two assists.
Arike Ogunbowale again led the Wings with 31 points and seven assists, having led the team in scoring in all eight games this season. Teela McCowan added 14 points and 15 rebounds and Maddie Siegrist added 14 points. The Wings made just 5 of 25 3-pointers, with three of those coming from Ogunbowale.
Wilson, who won his first MVP award in 2020, has been dominant so far this summer, averaging 26.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. This is a first for the WNBANo player has ever held that streak through the first four games of a season; Wilson did it in seven games. Wilson leads the league in rebounds, is behind Ogwunbore in points and is second in blocks with 2.8 per game.
Though there’s still a long way to go in the season, Wilson is off to a strong start this season, and if he can keep it up, not only will he be the favorite to win his third MVP award, but the Aces will be in prime position to win their third straight league championship this fall.
