A’ja Wilson already has won WNBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, but she could soon be adding another trophy to her haul this season.
In the Las Vegas Aces’ 85-71 win Tuesday night, which put them up 2-0 in the WNBA Finals and on the brink of a title, Wilson led the team with 26 points and 10 assists.
Through her last five games in the WNBA playoffs, Wilson has posted five consecutive 20-point double-doubles:
With those numbers, Wilson becomes the first player in WNBA postseason history to record at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in five straight games.
Her 140 points during the streak puts her in third behind Angel McCoughtry (146) and Cappie Pondexter (142) for a five-game span in WNBA postseason history.
“You can say it’s a run but she’s just done that all season,” said teammate Kelsey Plum, with whom Wilson combined for 31 of Las Vegas’ 45 points in the first half of Game 2.
“I felt like she’s been the most consistent player night in, night out offensively and defensively in this league and that’s why she’s MVP. It’s tremendous,” Plum continued. “A lot of times when we are watching greatness, we don’t appreciate it in real time. Like we have to wait until someone’s done playing. But it’s absolutely a treat for basketball people that are watching to see what she’s doing.”
Chelsea Gray, who finished second to Wilson with 21 points in Tuesday’s Game 2 victory, concurred.
“I think we talk about her numbers offensively but she’s holding it down in the paint defensively,” Gray said. “Like a two-way player through and through: rebounding, snatching her rebounds, blocking shots, having our back when I get beat. So like all that, and she’s doing production on the offensive end.”
Wilson looks in line to earn the Finals MVP award at the end of the series. But her mind is on one thing: securing a win in Thursday’s Game 3.
“We can sit up here and say the job is not done but we always know,” she said. “Like Chelsea said, we don’t get too ahead of ourselves at all because anything can happen in this league.”