A’ja Wilson Breaks WNBA Single-Season Scoring Record

Nobody is putting on a show like A’ja Wilson.

In her seventh year as a pro, she’s become the most consistent force on the court and a scoring machine that routinely has opponents in peril.

Now, she can officially be recognized as the greatest single-season scorer in WNBA history.

Wilson broke the league’s all-time record Wednesday for most points in a regular season, surpassing Jewell Lloyd’s 939 points last year for the Storm. It took Wilson three fewer games and nearly 100 fewer shot attempts — another illustration of how she continually raises the bar for WNBA superstars and evolves the sport.

This is just the cherry on top of her unprecedented season, which could translate to an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year double-honor. Averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and a ridiculous 2.7 blocks per game, she’s knocking off records and rapidly adding to her trophy case.

Last week, Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to record a 40-point, 17-rebound game when the Aces dismantled the Phoenix Mercury. Even in the wake of defeat with her team struggling, Phoenix legend Diana Taurasi couldn’t hold back the superlatives.

“There’s been some amazing players in our league,” Taurasi explained. “But what she’s doing right now is unthinkable. How well she’s playing on both ends. She’s just unguardable. You guys think of her as a post (player), but I look at her as a guard. It’s not like she’s posting up. Everything is spaced out. Jab-steps, and she’s making threes now. Which … good luck for the next 10 years for this league if she’s making threes.”

As they say, real recognizes real, and the 20-year veteran knows Wilson will be the face of the WNBA for the next decade-plus.

Wilson is on track to eclipse the 1,000-point mark this season, assuming a clean bill of health for the Aces’ four remaining games. If she holds her scoring average of 27.3 points, she’ll finish roughly 126 ahead of Lloyd’s second-place mark.

The manner in which she broke the record Wednesday was extremely fitting, considering she’s become the deadliest mid-range threat in basketball. For Wilson, all it takes is a simple catch at the elbow. Once she has the ball, you’re at her mercy.

Facing up her defender. One dribble. Pull-up jumper over the outstretched arms she doesn’t even see.

Splash.

There is a reason she’s approaching 47% accuracy on more than 200 mid-rangers this season:

Just like Kevin Durant and Chris Paul on the men’s side, Wilson could teach a class on mid-range execution.

She has also mastered the trickiest area on the floor, the floater range from 6-14 feet away. Although most players have a difficult time gauging the necessary strength from that distance and putting a soft touch on the ball, Wilson utilizes her size, patience, and Las Vegas’ top-notch spacing to torch defenders in those spots. She is currently 126-of-251 from the floater range, shooting 50.2% with 77 more attempts than the next player.

Quite frankly, it’s disgusting stuff if you’re an opposing coach who’s in favor of sacrificing mid-range looks in an effort to take away the more harmful weapon of 3-pointers.

Up close? She’s got that covered, too. Within five feet of the rim, Wilson is seventh in efficiency among all players to attempt at least 100 layups.

It doesn’t matter where Wilson is stationed. She’ll bury you from 2-point range just as quickly as the best WNBA teams can light up the perimeter.

When this season concludes, it will be her third consecutive year shooting 50% or better on 12-plus 2-pointers per game. That will tie Candace Parker for the second-most in history, behind only Brittney Griner, who is five inches taller than Wilson with a closer average shot distance.

This year’s scoring title has effectively been locked up for a month. She is currently 4.7 points per game ahead of second-place Arike Ogunbowale with one week remaining. That is the highest margin from first to second in the WNBA’s 28-year history.

In fact, since 1997, the average gap between the scoring leader and runner up was only 1.7 points per game. Wilson has nearly tripled that in pursuit of another MVP award — which, by the way, should be unanimous when the voters receive their ballots.

If this pace continues next season, especially with the WNBA adding two more games to the schedule, Wilson can enter the top 20 in all-time scoring shortly after her 29th birthday. With the scoring explosion in modern basketball and Wilson likely embracing more 3-pointers as her career evolves, it’s simply a matter of ‘when’ she’ll become the league’s all-time leading scorer.

As it sits, she’s 5,875 points behind Taurasi’s career mark. If Wilson keeps stringing together 900-point seasons, which seems to be a safe bet, that’s roughly seven more years until she’s on the doorstep. That would be her 14th season in the league. Based on her playing style and versatility, there’s no reason to believe her name won’t attached to that record.

Wilson has completely separated herself in the ‘best player on the planet’ discussion in ways that only Nikola Jokić can mirror in the NBA. With both serving as the consensus top of their class, there’s a legitimate argument that both leagues have a gargantuan gap from first to second.

Despite being a two-time champion, squarely in her prime, and still adding new elements that make it unfair, her teammates are more impressed by the type of human she is off the floor. They will immediately point to the selflessness she exemplifies daily.

Veteran Alysha Clark, finishing up her second year with the Aces, couldn’t hold back tears during her postgame session after Wilson set the new scoring record. When it’s clear that Wilson doesn’t want to talk about herself, others will gladly take the mic.

“What isn’t talked about enough is her humility,” Clark said. “The way people play on her name night in and night out, and she still shows up every day with a smile on her face. And it’s hard. Don’t get it twisted, the crown is heavy. But she shows up every day and pours into those around her. I don’t think people understand how special that is for a person — for your franchise player, superstar, and leader — to be able to do on a consistent basis.”

Las Vegas is, once again, in the championship hunt this season because of Wilson’s stellar play. She is the Ace’s bedrock on both ends of the floor, carrying them through difficult stretches of the season. Whether it’s injuries to key starters, off the court noise, or the expected lack of fire and motivation that most back-to-back champions deal with, her phenomenal season has pushed them through it.

While the national conversation has centered on two rookies and new personalities around the WNBA, there’s a level of dominance right in front of us that demands attention.

And if that attention doesn’t come — that’s fine with her. She’ll keep pulling up to the arena in her white t-shirts, handling business, and dethroning records.