Three days ago, A’ja Wilson walked into the Barclays Center in a walking boot and was unable to help his team in an eventual loss against Liberty.
Fast forward to Wednesday night, Wilson became the WNBA’s single-season scoring leader while scoring 27 points in a win over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
Wilson entered Wednesday’s matchup 11 points behind Seattle guard Jewell Loyd’s single-season record of 939, which was set in the league’s first 40-game season in 2023. The soon-to-be three-time MVP surpassed the record in the second quarter after knocking down a free-throw jumper — a common sight during Ace game. She needed just 35 matches to break Loyd’s record. Loyd reached his mark in 38 games.
The Aces superstar’s point total now stands at 956 with four games remaining in the 2024 regular season. She could become the first WNBA player in history to reach 1,000 points in a single season. Wilson, who is averaging 27.3 points per game, could easily eclipse the 1,000-point mark in a couple of games, barring injuries.
As the WNBA expands to 40 games — along with the growing talent — many of the league’s records could be broken. Last season, Loyd surpassed Diana Taurasi’s 2006 single-season point total of 860. Taurasi’s record occurred when the WNBA played just 34 regular season games. Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart also surpassed Taurasi in 2023 after finishing with 919 points.
Wilson’s final point total for a season in 2024 will go along with her eventual third MVP title. The 28-year-old is a lock for First Team All-WNBA and is in contention for her third Defensive Player of the Year award. In her quest to secure a third straight WNBA titlethe superstar is averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.9 steals.
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