It has become popular in recent years to describe a dominant athlete as a “problem”—as in, this person is so spectacular, they create problems for the other team. A’ja Wilson, the smooth-talking, leg-sleeve-wearing fireball for the Las Vegas Aces, is something far beyond a problem. She is a problem in the way that climate change or airborne viruses are problems—so big, so inevitable, that even attempting to wrap your head around trying to solve the problem makes the whole room start spinning.
Wilson is so good, she makes you wonder if everyone else on the court is even trying. On Thursday night, when her team needed her most, the six-foot-four lefty penned another masterpiece. In a do-or-die game against the savvy Seattle Storm, Wilson went for 38 points (tying her playoff career high) while canning over half of her field goal attempts. Wilson’s game has always been a balletic mix of efficient and punishing. Like LeBron James blending his preternatural IQ and hulking physical advantages to seemingly always get what he wants, or Barry Bonds’ hawkeyed feel for the strike zone combining with his impossible bat speed to create the most unstoppable hitter who ever lived, Wilson has the ability to enter a flow state that others simply cannot. Centuries from now, when historians uncork Wilson’s greatest performances like fine wines, the September 18, 2025 bottle will stand out like the most exquisite cabernet sauvignon.
In the second half of the game—again, with the Aces needing a win to keep their season alive—Wilson had 25 points. The rest of her team chipped in with 16. Wilson also did not turn the ball over once in the second half, despite playing every second of it. Whether she needed to assert herself at the rim, elevate for a midrange jumper, use her deft dance moves in the paint, or get to the free-throw line—Wilson was a perfect seven-for-seven on foul shots in the second half—she was up for the challenge. In helping her team eke out the nail-biting, one-point victory, Wilson also delivered the Aces to the WNBA semifinals for the seventh straight year. A banged-up, Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever squad awaits Vegas in that round, meaning the only thing between Wilson and another trip to the Finals is a team missing its best player. Good luck!
A league-record fourth MVP award is also likely in store for Wilson, who’s been the engine of Vegas’ remarkable recent run. On August 2, the Aces suffered one of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history, falling to the Minnesota Lynx by a whopping 53 points. At that point, their record was the definition of mid: 14 wins, 14 losses. Since then, including the playoffs, they’ve rattled off 18 dubs in their last 19 games. Wilson’s per-game averages over that span? How about 26.6 points and 11.4 rebounds with a ridiculous 53% shooting clip. Folks, this is the greatest to ever do it.
