Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson put on a show.
Wilson dropped a career-high 53 points in the Aces’ 112-100 win over the Atlanta Dream in College Park, Ga., on Tuesday, tying the WNBA single-game scoring record set in 2018 by Liz Cambage. Wilson made 16 of 23 from the field and 20 of 21 from the free throw line, adding seven rebounds and four blocks in his historic effort.
Although Wilson’s name will go down in the history books, the two-time WNBA MVP said it was a team effort.
“I hope they know it’s not going to happen without them,” Wilson said. “It may look like 50 on the board for A’ja, but it’s for everyone. We stuck to defensive end, which allowed us to do it.”
Wilson is only the third player in WNBA history to score 50 or more points in a single game, joining Cambage (53, 2018) and Riquna Williams (51, 2013).
Earlier this month, Wilson dropped 40 points and 12 rebounds in the Aces’ 113-89 win over the Washington Mystics, which marked his career high at the time. But she added 13 points to her tally a few weeks later.
“I don’t know what kind of creature she is, but I can tell you that she runs like a deer, jumps like a cat, and catches like she’s Spider-Man. I don’t know exactly what that is, but she’s special.” ” Aces head coach Becky Hammon said of Wilson. “His true gift is his humility and grace… He is a phenomenal superstar. She wants to win and that’s it.”
Aces teammate Kelsey Plum called Wilson “one of the greatest players of all time,” adding with a laugh that Wilson is “just getting started, which is crazy.” Plum added 20 points and seven assists, while Chelsea Gray finished with a double-double of 16 points and 12 assists.
The WNBA’s top Aces (24-4) next face the Mystics (15-18) on Saturday.