2 minutes ago : A’Ja Wilson Explodes After Caitlin Alleged MVP Snub Diss—See Her Furious Reaction!

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A’ja Wilson has perfectly channeled MVP snub anger and could break Diana Taurasi’s WNBA record

A’ja Wilson can make WNBA history in 2024 as she fights for another MVP award. (
Image: Getty Images)

Eight months ago, Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson said getting snubbed for last year’s WNBA MVP award “hurt like hell” – a frank admission not usually made in the middle a postseason run, but one on brand for a player always willing to confront hard truths. She’d put together arguably her best statistical campaign to date and felt she deserved top honors.

“It hurt like hell, it really did,” Wilson told ESPN last October of finishing just behind Breanna Stewart and Alyssa Thomas in MVP voting. “But it’s all part of the game.”

At 27 years old, Wilson is entering her physical prime and perfectly channeling any lingering anger to dominate opponents. With co-star Chelsea Gray missing the first month of the season because of injury, Kelsey Plum in an early slump amid personal turmoil and Candace Parker retired, Wilson holds more offensive responsibilities than any time in her professional career. And she’s taking advantage of her usage spike, making an early run at the all-time WNBA single-season scoring average record.

Diana Taurasi’s mark of 25.29 from 2006 still stands as the most prolific the league has ever seen. Wilson is now at 27.86, not to mention her career-best rebounding average of 12.7.

On Wednesday night, Wilson led the Aces with 36 points to help them crush the Dallas Wings, 95-81. Dallas star Arike Ogunbowale entered the contest narrowly ahead of Wilson in points per game, albeit without the same efficiency, but fell behind Wilson after scoring “just” 31.

Offense is only part of Wilson’s output, of course. The reigning Western Conference Player of the Month finished the blowout victory with six steals.

Wilson’s production is not getting enough attention, which will probably just fuel her more. The South Carolina product suffers from three issues that have obscured the spotlight: she’s a victim of her own consistent success, she’s not a member of the much-publicized rookie class, and she’s avoided the type of drama that catches the current of daytime sports talk TV and snowballs out of control.

Fans, both new and old, expect Wilson to dominate at this point. She’s a five-time All-Star and two-time MVP only seven years into her professional career. It now takes above-and-beyond feats to keep people talking.

The subject matter that could now turn heads might be the scoring record chase, which few prominent women’s basketball influencers seem to be discussing yet. But they can’t avoid it much longer.

Because the WNBA season is 40 games, it doesn’t take long for historic stretches to become historic seasons. The Aces are already through almost 18 percent of their campaign. There’s no word yet on when Gray will return, so head coach Becky Hammon will continue to lean on Wilson for scoring as she’s done through the first month. That means she could build a substantial cushion in the record chase.

Based on what Wilson has done throughout her career, her role on the 2024 Aces and an uptick in scoring around the WNBA, Taurasi’s single-season record has a good chance of falling. It would be near-impossible to deny Wilson an MVP then.