A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces cannot be stopped right now. Wilson poured in 36 points on Saturday afternoon to lead the Aces past the Washington Mystics, 91-81, for their 10th consecutive win.
Less than a month ago, the Aces were below .500, and on Aug. 2 they lost by 53 points to the Minnesota Lynx — the second-largest defeat in league history. They haven’t lost since then. Their 10-game winning streak, which is the Aces’ longest since they moved to Las Vegas and the longest in the WNBA since 2021, has vaulted them into third place at 24-14.
Instead of worrying about hanging on to one of the final playoff spots, the Aces are now right in the mix for the No. 2 seed and are in the driver’s seat to earn homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Aces’ late-season surge: Las Vegas turns things around, but can A’ja Wilson and Co. make run in WNBA playoffs?
Jack Maloney
Earlier in the winning streak, we examined some of the underlying reasons behind the Aces’ turnaround. The main driver of their success, though, is the same as it always has been: A’ja Wilson. The three-time MVP continued her late-season push to win the honor for a record fourth time on Saturday with another brilliant performance.
Wilson poured in 36 points on 14 of 22 from the field, and added 13 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. She now has 10 30-point games this season and has become the first player in WNBA history with multiple seasons of 10-plus 30-point games. For her career, Wilson is up to 34 30-point games, which is second only to the league’s all-time leading scorer, Diana Taurasi.
Most 30-point games in WNBA history
During the Aces’ 10-game winning streak, Wilson has scored 30 points five times and is averaging 27.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks. For the season, she’s up to 23.2 points per game, and is right on the heels of Napheesa Collier (23.5 points) for the scoring title.
Wilson has also closed the gap on Collier in the MVP race. Collier was cruising to her first MVP award until she injured her ankle in the Lynx’s historic win over the Aces at the beginning of the month. She hasn’t played since then, and in the meantime Wilson’s individual dominance and the Aces’ 10-game winning streak has made the MVP race extremely close. Collier remains the betting favorite at -220 per Caesars Sportsbook, but Wilson is now just +160.