LAS VEGAS — Regardless of how true it was, the general consensus among WNBA fans and media for most of this season has been that Aces’ superstar A’ja Wilson was suffering from a down year after being crowned the unanimous MVP in 2024.
After Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to record a 30/20 game with 32 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Connecticut on Sunday, that belief no longer has any legs to stand on. After a 9-11 start through their first 18 games, the Aces have gone 9-3 in their last 12 games after Wilson’s return from a wrist injury on July 12.
Wilson made 15 of 23 attempts from the field during her historic outing, in addition to dishing out five assists and collecting two steals on the defensive end. Wilson grabbed her 20th rebound of the game with 36.2 seconds remaining, matching her career high while also solidifying her place in the league’s record books.
“It’s huge,” Wilson told Ballislife. “As many greats as we have in this league, that’s kind of a shocker that it’s just now happening. It’s a blessing. I love what I do. I love it so much.”
“Anytime that I can come out and just play basketball the way that I love. And the team, we’re all getting involved, I’m happy with that. It’s pretty cool to have my name in the record books when it comes to that. I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a lot following up. It’s pretty cool to kind of be the first one.”
Building On A Rough Start
In fairness, the early consensus against Wilson came from the fact the Aces couldn’t buy a win at times during the first half of the schedule. She’s arguably been the most valuable player in the league all season based on the truest interpretation of the term, but we all know that MVP awards in sports are entirely results-based awards in this day and age.
Until Wilson’s recent stretch, which has pushed the Aces back into contention for a top-four spot — her team hadn’t done enough to justify consideration alongside heavy favorite Napheesa Collier for this year’s award.
The Aces spent much of the year at or below .500 and Wilson also missed time with a wrist injury in addition to a concussion suffered earlier in the season. As a result, the reigning MVP was quickly pushed aside in the running for this year’s award in favor of a small cast of players led by Collier in Minnesota.
A Shift In the MVP Conversation Around A’ja Wilson
With Collier forced to sit out with an ankle injury, there’s been a shift in the MVP conversation. Not only has the debate opened up to give Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas a chance at taking home the award for the first time, but it’s also forced a second look at Wilson’s bid for her fourth MVP in the last six seasons as the Aces have turned their fortunes around.
Wilson ranks second in the league in scoring with 22.2 points per game, trailing only Collier’s 23.5 points per game. She’s also the frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year Award with a league-leading 2.1 blocks and 3.7 stocks (steals + blocks) per game.
According to basketball guru Nekias Duncan, Las Vegas has outscored opponents by 8.8 points per 100 possessions while Wilson is on the floor, which would rank second in NET rating. Meanwhile, the Aces have a league-worst -21.3 NET rating in the 413 minutes of Aces’ basketball that Wilson hasn’t been a part of this season.
After last night, A’ja Wilson’s tale of the tape:
22.2 points (2nd) on 50/29/84 splits; 57.6 TS (+3.6 rTS)
9.6 rebounds (2nd)
3.4 assists (career high; 2.5 TOs)
1.6 steals (6th)
2.1 blocks (1st)17-11 record *in games played*
LVA has outscored opponents by 8.8 points per 100… pic.twitter.com/lryDP5RSnv
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) August 11, 2025
Looking Ahead
The Aces are looking ahead to perhaps their most important matchup of the season so far against the New York Liberty on Wednesday. With six wins in their last seven games, mostly against struggling opponents, an opportunity to scrap with the Liberty will serve as the most accurate litmus test for where this Aces’ team stands among the crop of the league amidst their recent turnaround.
The Aces vs. Liberty matchup will tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN from Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. If the Aces take home the victory, they would then trail the current No. 2 seed New York by just two games headed into the final homestretch.
