In the fourth quarter of the Las Vegas Aces' win over the Seattle Storm on Wednesday night, A'ja Wilson scored on four consecutive possessions, racking up eight points in less than two minutes to ensure her team snapped its three-game losing streak. She finished the night with 27 points on 11 of 18 in yet another brilliant individual effort.
Wilson, who is averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game, will face her toughest test yet when the Aces host the league-leading Connecticut Sun on Friday night. The Sun boast a big, physical frontline and allow just 90.8 points per 100 possessions, which would be the best defensive rating since the 2007 Indiana Fever.
Ahead of the highly anticipated matchup between the back-to-back champs and one of the main contenders for their crown, it's worth taking a closer look at Wilson's torrid start. Through 13 games she is on pace to record the greatest scoring season in WNBA history.
The stats
- Wilson's 27.9 points per game would be the highest single-season average ever, easily surpassing the current mark of 25.3, set by Diana Taurasi in 2006.
- From a total points perspective, Wilson is on pace to smash the single-season record of 939 set by Jewell Loyd last year, and become the first player to record a 1,000-point season. Of course, it's worth noting that the WNBA expanded to a 40-game schedule last season, but at her current pace Wilson would break the 1,000-point mark in 36 games.
- Wilson has four 30-point games already, which is second only to Kahleah Copper this season. The all-time record for 30-point games in a season is 12, set by Maya Moore in 2014 and Loyd in 2023. Wilson is on pace to match that mark.
- Wilson has scored at least 20 points in all 13 of the Aces' games this season, and has already set the all-time mark for consecutive 20-point games. If she can get to 20 points against the Sun, there's no reason she can't push that streak towards 20 games given the Aces' soft upcoming schedule.
- One of the most impressive aspects of Wilson's scoring barrage is that she's shooting 52.3% from the field, which has her on pace for one of the most efficient high-volume scoring seasons ever. Of the current top-10 scoring seasons, only one player shot over 50%: Lauren Jackson at 51.9% in 2007.
How she's getting it done
Elite around the basket
Aside from a few matchups, the 6-foot-4 Wilson is going to have the size advantage against most opponents. Combine that with her athleticism, skill and touch, and it's no surprise that she's elite around the basket. She's shooting 66.7% in the restricted area and 63.2% within five feet, and her 14.8 points in the paint per game lead the league.
As we've seen over the years, Wilson's ability to get to the rim in a wide variety of ways is what makes her so borderline impossible to guard. So far this season, 55 of her 134 field goals (41%) have come within five feet, but most of those possessions don't start that close to the basket.
Mid-range maestro
Wilson's mid-range shooting came and went during her first few seasons in the league, but she's now become a reliable threat from that area of the floor. She shot a remarkable 53.4% on mid-range jumpers last season, and has maintained an efficient 45.6% clip this season despite increasing her volume by nearly two attempts per game to 5.2.
In the last 10 seasons, there have been 49 instances of a player averaging at least five mid-range attempts per game. Only Seimone Augustus in 2017 and 2018 and Elena Delle Donne in 2017 shot a better percentage than Wilson has so far this season.
A free throw machine
The quickest way to big scoring nights is at the free throw line, and Wilson is getting there on a regular basis this season. Her eight free throw attempts per game are a career-high and the fifth-most in league history. The only other players to average that many free throw attempts in a season are Cynthia Cooper, Yolanda Griffith, Katie Smith and Angel McCoughtry.
It certainly helps that Wilson is making 84.6% of those attempts, which is the second-best rate of her career. At this pace, Wilson will make 272 free throws this season, which would set a new single-season record.
