By: Associated Press
A’ja Wilson broke the WNBA single-season scoring record just before the first half of the Las Vegas Aces’ game against the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night.
Wilson hit a jumper from the free throw line with 26.4 seconds left in the second quarter to surpass the previous mark of 939 points set by Jewell Loyd in 2023. The Aces’ two-time league MVP came into the game averaging 27.3 points and 11.9 rebounds.
She finished the game with 27 points and 12 rebounds as Las Vegas won 86-75. Wilson credited her teammates for helping her break the record.
“I don’t want to sound cliché when I say this but, I don’t get any of that without every single teammate along the way. I’m so grateful to be able to play with selfless women,” she said. “My teammates are the heartbeat. They keep me going. I don’t get any points without them passing me the basketball.
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“So the points are great. They’re always going to be there. I’m never going to stop shooting, but the group that we have in this locker room is something that I’m truly so happy to be around.”
Wilson needed just 35 games to top last year’s record by Loyd, who did it in 38 games. Wilson’s previous high was 912 points, set in 40 games last season.
She now has 956 points this season and could potentially be the first player in league history to reach 1,000 in a year.
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She missed the team’s previous game in New York on Sunday as she was recovering from an ankle injury she suffered against Connecticut last Friday night.
“Feels great, ’cause now people will stop talking about it,” Wilson said. “I felt like it was just lingering, lingering, lingering, so I’m glad that we got it done. It’s been a lot of fun.”
The Aces have four games left, including another one against the Fever on Friday night.