With a minute left in the half on a Sunday afternoon, A’ja Wilson heard her first MVP chants of the day. It’s a familiar sound. The home crowd is used to her excelling and her team winning WNBA championships. A third consecutive MVP honor and WNBA Championship may just be in the offing.
Wilson delivered a historic playoff performance on Sunday — 38 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks and two steals — leading the Las Vegas Aces to a dominant 102-85 Game 1 victory over the Indiana Fever in their best-of-three first-round series at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The numbers were elite. Wilson shot 15-of-19 from the field (78.9 percent) and became the first player in any WNBA game — regular season or postseason — to record at least 35 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 75 percent or better. It marked her third career 38-point playoff game and extended her league record for 30-point playoff performances to 11. She scored 22 points in the first half alone and finished Sunday with a +29 plus/minus.
A’ja, what a player! (photo courtesy Yahoo!)
Wilson set the tone immediately: blocking Aliyah Boston, stealing the ball from Caitlin Clark, and knocking down an 18-foot jumper to open the scoring. From that moment, it was clear she was locked in, driven by the same competitive fire that has already produced three championships. At this rate, a fourth title remains very much in play.
That relentless standard is what separates the greats, and you’re seeing it in Wilson’s play. Maya Moore once looked like the clearest candidate for greatest player in WNBA history before stepping away to focus on social justice. Wilson is building a case to join — or eventually surpass — that conversation when her career is complete. Games like this strengthen the argument.
Remarkably, Wilson still does not receive the volume of national attention that matches her résumé as a four-time MVP and three-time champion. Clark’s college-to-pro phenomenon understandably draws massive interest. Other stars such as Sophie Cunningham and Breanna Stewart also command significant coverage.
But Wilson is the best player in the league right now.
Her play on Sunday underscores why. She was efficient, dominant, two-way, and completely in control.
When the Fever took a brief 16-15 lead after Chelsea Gray missed a free throw, Wilson answered with a driving layup. When Cunningham hit consecutive threes to make it 24-22, Wilson responded with a three-point play. When Clark tied the game at 31, Wilson answered with a jumper. When Raven Johnson tied it at 36, Wilson sparked a 13-2 Aces run that gave Las Vegas its first double-digit lead.
WOW!
That sequence appeared to break the Fever’s spirit. Indiana never recovered. The Aces led 62-47 at halftime and cruised in the second half. A player of Wilson’s caliber would not allow a sustained comeback.
That is the value of a true superstar. Wilson leads by example on both ends, especially defensively, and her teammates follow. She sets screens for Jackie Young (21 points, 10 assists) and Chelsea Gray (14 points). She prioritizes winning over individual stats. She makes coach Becky Hammon’s job easier by setting the standard for how the game should be played.
It is easy to see why the Aces remain championship favorites. It starts with Wilson, the heart of a team that has won three of the last four titles. If she keeps playing at this level, Las Vegas will be extremely difficult to eliminate.
Gray put it best in her halftime sendoff interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe: Wilson is an MVP for a reason. Who can argue with that?
