A’ja Wilson exploded for a monster double-double of 38 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Las Vegas Aces to a 102-85 victory over the Indiana Fever in their WNBA playoff opener. In the process, the four-time WNBA MVP made history.
Wilson didn’t just put up big numbers; she did it with remarkable efficiency, as she shot 15-of-19 from the field for a whopping 78.9% shooting clip. She added two assists, two steals and four blocks to an already stellar performance.
What made Wilson’s performance one for the record books, however, is what she accomplished alongside that scoring display. With her 16 boards, she became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in multiple playoff games.
Furthermore, Wilson also surpassed DeWanna Bonner for the second-most field goals made in WNBA playoffs history. The Aces center ended the contest with 455 career field goals made in the postseason.
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It was an utterly dominant performance from Wilson, who outscored Indiana’s top two scorers in Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. Both Mitchell and Clark averaged a combined 47 points per game during the regular season, but they scored just a total of 27 points in the Game 1 loss.
The challenge now for Wilson is replicating her historic performance in Game 2. While the Aces blew out the Fever on Sunday, the fact remains that Indiana beat the Las Vegas squad 2-1 in their season series.
The Aces and Fever play Game 2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday. Indiana is favored to win the contest.
