By Jamal Baker
NDG Contributing Writer
A’ja Riyadh Wilson.
That is it, that is the tweet.
When you have the type of special historic 2024 season Ms. Wilson just had, it calls for her full government name. Becoming only the second player in the history of the WNBA to win the Most Valuable Player award unanimously, Wilson joins Cynthia Cooper who carried the honor in 1997.
The numbers speak for themselves as the three-time MVP averaged 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.6 blocks to go along with a 51.8 percent field goal percentage.
“It’s truly a blessing to get an MVP as a whole but to say that this is my third, it’s a good feeling, it really is,” Wilson stated.
(Photo: Jon Mac CC BY 2.0, Composite by David Wilfong / NDG)
The Las Vegas Aces center broke the league’s single-season scoring record and became the first player to reach 1,000 points in a season.
Wilson is the first player to lead the league in total points, rebounds and blocks in a season.
The history books were continually rewritten as her accolades stacked on top of each other throughout the year. Her 26.9 points per game broke Diana Taurasi’s record set at 25.3 points in 2006. Displaying special traits as a glass cleaner, she averaged the highest defensive rebounds per game (9.8) in a single-season. Wilson also put her greatness on display on the world’s biggest sporting stage at the Paris Olympics winning her second Olympic gold medal with Team USA.
Hailing from Colombia, South Carolina, the former Gamecock is immortalized with a statue at her alma mater. The great Dawn Staley, current University of South Carolina women’s basketball head coach, is someone A’ja Wilson gives credit for developing her fiery nature and relentless effort on the court.
“She was someone that instilled just that boss, the leader,” Wilson declared.
Wilson’s leadership will certainly be on display throughout the WNBA playoffs as the Aces look to three-peat—a feat that has only been done by the Houston Comets when they won the first four titles of the league from 1997 to 2000.
The WNBA playoffs kicked off Sunday, Sept. 22 with the Aces winning Game 1 against Jewell Lloyd and the Seattle Storm. Posting the most consecutive games with 20 or more points this season, Wilson carried over her regular season success into the playoffs. She stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
“We locked in and understood the assignment which was just the task at hand. We need to focus on our matchups and slow them down. Seattle has great players, so we just got to make it difficult for them and I think we did that,” Wilson claimed postgame.
A’ja Wilson is must see TV and anyone not tuning in to witness one of the greatest talents not only the WNBA has seen but the game of basketball will undoubtedly regret it when her illustrious career is over.
At still just 28 years old, one can argue that she is just now entering her prime. Greats such as Sheryl Swoopes, Cynthia Cooper, Maya Moore, Candace Parker, and Diana Taurasi all can make strong cases as the greatest women’s basketball player of all time.
However, the A’ja Wilson era is in full effect, and she will continue to be a force for years to come. A’ja Wilson is H.E.R.—a hero for the next generation, an exceptional talent that cannot be stopped, and a rare human being people love.
