The WNBA officially began play in 1997 and over the next 27 years, some of the greatest players in basketball history roamed the WNBA hardwood in search of a title. But none of those players had ever done what Las Vegas Aces superstar A’Ja Wilson has done.
And that is to become the first player in league history to score 1,000 points in a single season.
In Sunday’s 84-71 win over the Connecticut Sun, Wilson etched her name in the WNBA record books on a jump shot with 1:57 remaining in the game for both her 29th point of the game and 1,000th point of the season, causing the arena to erupt.
When a timeout was eventually called, the soon-to-be 2024 WNBA MVP was mobbed by her teammates, after which an emotional Wilson sat on the bench taking it all in.
And “it” is a lot.
Earlier this week, A’ja broke Jewell Loyd’s single-season scoring mark of 939 points set in 2023, and she did it in three fewer games (35 to Loyd’s 38). A few short days later, she’s the single-season scoring record holder.
The Aces star finished with 29 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocked shots and 0 turnovers in her historic effort. But that’s not all. She also extended her double-digit scoring run to 50 games, which is the longest active streak in the league and is tied for the 11th longest in league history.
The 50-game streak makes her the first player in WNBA history with multiple double-digit streaks of 50 games or more.
But wait, there’s more!
With 444 rebounds this year, A’ja needs 3 rebounds to break the league’s single-season record of 446 set by rookie Angel Reese earlier this year. There are three games left in the regular season so that record should also be expected to be Wilson’s as well.
Yet regardless of the records she breaks and sets, Wilson is all about the team.
“I don’t want to sound clichĂ© when I say this but, I don’t get any of that without every single teammate along the way. I’m so grateful to be able to play with selfless women,” she said earlier this week. “My teammates are the heartbeat. They keep me going. I don’t get any points without them passing me the basketball.”
What A’ja Wilson has accomplished this year is not only historic but also incredible if you think about the legendary players the league has had like Sheryl Swoopes, Dina Taurasi, Sue Bird, Cynthia Cooper, Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie, Tina Charles and many others.
Now that she’s set two records, and a third is on the way, Wilson will focus her attention on the playoffs as the Aces attempt to become the first team to three-peat since the Houston Comets (1997-2000).
Congrats A’ja!
