Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson scored 31 of her record-tying 53 points in the second half of a win over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday in Atlanta. Photo by Lorie Shaull/Wikimedia Commons
A’ja Wilson tied the WNBA’s single-game scoring record with 53 points in a Las Vegas Aces victory over the Atlanta Dream, but her teammates say she is “just starting” to reach her prime.
Wilson made 16 of 23 shots, with just one 3-pointer in the 112-100 win Tuesday at the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta. The veteran center also totaled seven rebounds and four blocks over 33:18 of action. Advertisement
Wilson became the third player in league history to score at least 50 points in a single game. Her 53 points tied Liz Cambage’s record total from 2018. Riquna Williams scored 51 in 2013 for the Tulsa Shock.
“She’s just different,” Aces guard Kelsey Plum told reporters, when asked about Wilson on Tuesday in Atlanta. “I feel like we are watching generational talent. I think we gotta stop comparing people and just look at them be great. What we are seeing right now is a historic run and it’s just beginning.
“This is one of the greatest players of all time and she is just starting to play.” Advertisement
Wilson scored 22 points in the first half, including 16 in the first quarter. She scored 18 of her 31 second-half points in the fourth quarter.
“My teammates found me in my spots and I was just really aggressive,” Wilson said.
Her record-tying total came just 11 days after she scored a previous career-high 40 points in a win over the Washington Mystics.
“She is just special,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “Her real gift is in her humility and grace and how she handles herself and her teammates. She is a phenomenal superstar.”
Wilson, 27, is now averaging a career-high 22.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season for the league-leading Aces. The five-time All-Star and two-time WNBA MVP averaged 31.3 points and 9.8 rebounds over her last six games.
Wilson, the reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, led the Aces to their first title last season. The former South Carolina star averaged 19.7 points per game over her first 182 appearances since entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
The Aces (29-4) will face the Chicago Sky (13-20) at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday in Chicago. Advertisement
