While most of the news coming out of the WNBA is about Caitlin Clark and which player in the league is feuding with Clark at that moment, it’s unfortunate that not more attention is being paid to A’ja Wilson. She’s a two-time WNBA champion, two-time WNBA MVP, twice she’s been the Defensive Player of the Year in the WNBA, and five times she’s been an All-Star.
Quite simply, she is the best player in the league, and she leads the best team in the league, the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces have won back-to-back championships, and they are -105 to win a third-straight title.
Wilson is the heavy favorite to win her third MVP, paying -190, and her performance on Wednesday solidifies her spot atop the league. The Aces beat the Dallas Wings, 95-81, covering the nine-point spread, and Wilson was historic. For the first time in league history, a player finished with at least 35 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals in a single game. Wilson finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals. Adding an explanation point to her incredible night on the floor, she shot 68% (15-of-22).
“I just take what the defense gives me and just the flow of the game,” Wilson said. “My teammates really just kept me afloat.”
Her head coach Becky Hammon got right to the point when talking about her star. “She’s the best in the world.”
As of right now, no one can challenge Wilson for best women’s player on the planet. She’s a gold medal winner at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and she will get another chance to dominate the world at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Wilson said the thing she’s most looking forward to with the upcoming Olympics is sharing the moment with her parents. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were not allowed to travel to Japan for her first Olympics experience.
If Wilson wins the WNBA MVP, she will be just the fourth player in history to win a third MVP. Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson are the three she would join. Along with her three MVPs, Swoopes was a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Leslie won four Olympic gold medals. So on the international front, Wilson still has some work to do to catch those two legends.
Players Support Wilson
The Caitlin Clark effect will help everyone in the WNBA, with her incredible popularity after a record-setting college career bringing a bigger audience to women’s professional basketball. But Wilson is easily the best player in the league, and she has some pretty big names calling for her to become more of a featured athlete.
Warriors forward Draymond Green praised the 2024 WNBA draft class for bringing more eyes to the league. But he says the WNBA should have done more to market Wilson in previous years. “The best thing since sliced bread in the WNBA is A’ja Wilson. A’ja Wilson to me is the American dream. Beat the odds to become what soon will be known as the greatest player to ever grace the WNBA.”
LeBron James publicly congratulated Wilson when she was named WNBA Player of the Month for May, and he has long been a fan of the Aces star. When Wilson was named Finals MVP last season, James called for her to get her own signature shoe. She finally got that shoe from Nike last month.
The Aces next game is Friday at home against the Seattle Storm, and Las Vegas is favored by 10.5 points.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
