Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson’s historic career continued on Wednesday night when she broke the WNBA’s all-time single-season scoring record. Wilson now has 956 points this summer, breaking Jewell Loyd’s mark of 939, which she set in 2023. Soon, Wilson will become the first player to have a 1,000-point season, which is possible as a result of the league extending the regular season to 40 games.
“It’s a blessing, it really is,” Wilson said. “It’s something that I don’t take for granted. I mean we have some phenomenal players in this league, so for my name to be on the list is truly a blessing. And I have to credit my teammates, because without them I wouldn’t get the basketball. At the same time, them just continuing to pour into me so I can pour into them, it goes a long way.”
Entering the Aces’ matchup with the red-hot Indiana Fever on Wednesday, which the defending champions won, 86-75, Wilson needed 11 points to surpass Loyd. While she got off to a hot start, it ultimately took her until the very end of the first half to get there. With less than a minute to play before the break, Wilson caught the ball near the top of the key and knocked down the biggest mid-range jumper of her career.
Wilson had a tough shooting night overall (11 of 28), but she took over down the stretch to ensure the Aces escaped with a hard-fought win. She finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and three blocks for another big double-double.
For the season, Wilson is averaging an incredible 27.3 points per game, which is nearly five points more than any other player. She is not only well on her way to winning the first scoring title of her career, but to recording the highest single-season scoring average ever. The current record belongs to Diana Taurasi, who put up 25.3 points per game in 2006.
Wilson’s quest for the best scoring season the WNBA has ever seen was briefly put into jeopardy last week when she injured her ankle in a win over the Connecticut Sun. She was put in a walking boot and sat out of the Aces’ loss to the New York Liberty on Sunday, which was the first time she missed a game since 2019. Thankfully, Wilson didn’t suffer any long-term damage and a few days off was all she needed to get healthy.
That’s great news for the Aces, who will need Wilson at her best if they want any hope of pulling off a threepeat. This has been a frustrating season for the defending champions, who have already lost double the amount of games they did in 2023, and remain in fourth place at 23-13.
