Las Vegas Aces: 12 straight wins, A’ja Wilson unstoppable with 34 points

Las Vegas Aces Tie Wins Record and Rise in the WNBA

The Las Vegas Aces achieved an impressive victory against the Atlanta Dream with a score of 81-75 on Wednesday, matching their franchise record with their twelfth consecutive win. This triumph catapulted them to second place in the WNBA standings.

A’ja Wilson led the Aces, as has been customary during their winning streak in August, with 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Jackie Young, her teammate, achieved her second triple-double of the season with 10 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds. The Aces became the tenth team in WNBA history to achieve at least a dozen consecutive wins in a season. An achievement that includes the 2000 Los Angeles Sparks, who finished with a 28-4 record and had two 12-win streaks. The Las Vegas franchise also had a 12-game winning streak in 2012, when the team still played in San Antonio as the Silver Stars. The current Aces coach, Becky Hammon, was a starter on that San Antonio team, although on Wednesday she claimed not to remember that streak, which ran from June 24 to August 21, 2012. The Silver Stars finished that season with a 21-13 record.

They are making their presence felt.

Becky Hammon

Wilson has scored 30 or more points in 11 games this season, matching his personal best set last year, when he won his third MVP award. The WNBA season record is 12 games with more than 30 points, achieved by Jewell Loyd, Wilson’s teammate on the Aces, in 2023, when she played for Seattle, and by Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx in 2014. According to data, Wilson holds the WNBA record for most games in a season with 30 or more points, with 60% or more field goal efficiency. This was her sixth such game, breaking the tie with Cynthia Cooper of Houston, who had five in 1997, the inaugural WNBA season.

I try to make my workouts and practices very similar to games, so that it’s familiar. I can figure out how to get to my positions and be productive for my team. That comes from understanding who I am and where I want to go.

A’ja Wilson

Wilson made 13 of 21 field goals on Wednesday in Atlanta, including two three-pointers, tying his season high. Wilson joked after the game: “Don’t call me Curry,” referring to NBA three-point legend Stephen Curry. However, his two long-range shots were crucial in tilting the game in favor of the Aces. With the score tied 48-48 with 2:55 left in the third quarter, Wilson made the first of two consecutive three-pointers, then made a 10-foot shot for an 8-0 personal run. Loyd closed the quarter by scoring five more points for a 61-48 lead. The Aces withstood the Dream’s comeback attempt in the final quarter, with Loyd and Chelsea Gray hitting crucial three-pointers in the final minute. With a 26-14 record this season, the Aces have a 15-3 record since the All-Star break and finished August with 12-1. They have four games left in the regular season, including three at home, and will not play again until September 4. All eyes will be on that matchup against the first-place Lynx (30-7) in Las Vegas.

This is our eighth game in 15 days. I was very concerned about our legs going into this game. When you talk about gears and that ability to go up an extra gear, we’ve really been able to do that on the defensive side. And that’s winning us games. Really one of our team quality wins tonight: proof of courage, resilience, toughness.

Becky Hammon