A’ja Wilson’s single-season WNBA scoring mark likely short-lived. Several players poised to break it

A’ja Wilson has been scoring at a record pace all season long and now she owns the all-time mark for points in a single year.

It has been an impressive run, but it is also unlikely that the record will stand very long.

Wilson broke the year-old record of 939 held by Jewell Loyd on Wednesday night in Las Vegas’ win at Indiana. But now consider this: Four of the top five all-time single-season scoring marks have come in the last two years, including Loyd’s.

Part of the reason is the league has several explosive offensive players and the WNBA continues to expand its schedule. When WNBA was launched in 1997, each team played 28 games. From 2003-19, teams played 34 games and last season each played 40 games. Next year, each will play 44 games.

When combining the talent with more opportunities, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Wilson, Loyd or someone else top the number of points the Aces’ star finishes with this year.

Wilson’s most impressive number may not be her final tally.

She is shattering the previous scoring average mark set by Diana Taurasi in 2006 of 25.29 points. Taurasi surpassed the previous record held by Katie Smith of 23.09 points set in 2001. Cynthia Cooper set the bar originally with her record of 22.18 points in the WNBA’s inaugural season of 1997.

Las Vegas’ two-time MVP is averaging 27.31 points and Wilson is on pace to be the first player ever to reach 1,000 points in a single season with the Aces having four games left. That’s a 4.5-point improvement per game from her previous best set last season.

“You’re really starting to see a really, really gifted woman come into this maturity stage of not only her life, but basketball career,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “She’s not just the best player in the world, she might be the most loved and adored by her teammates. I mean, this woman is special.”

Wilson has increased her range. In addition to having a consistent 15-foot jump shot, she now hits 3-pointers at nearly a 34% rate.

Not everyone is on a scoring binge. As a whole, scoring is down about a point a game in the WNBA this season with teams averaging 81.8 points.

Here’s a look in alphabetical order at who could top Wilson’s single-season total point mark next year:

Caitlin Clark

The rookie would need to make a big jump. She is averaging 17 points a game for Indiana, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see her numbers skyrocket in the next few seasons. She finished her college career with the most points in NCAA Division I history and has been averaging 23.9 points since the Olympic break — her first extended rest in nearly a year. The only thing that could hold her back is that Clark is her role as a playmaker — she is leading the league in assists.

Kahleah Copper

The Phoenix wing is having a career year on offense, averaging 21.6 points in her first season with the Mercury. She’s improved her scoring nearly every year she has been in the league. With the possible retirement of Diana Taurasi after this season, Copper could get more scoring opportunities. However, with a potential Taurasi retirement looming, Copper could get more attention from defenses.

Loyd

The Seattle guard’s time as the leading scorer only lasted one year, but she could regain it in the future. Loyd is proficient at putting the ball in the basket from anywhere on the court. One obstacle she will face is that there are more scoring options on Seattle’s roster now with the additions of Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike this season. Loyd doesn’t have to singularly shoulder the offensive load as much.

Arike Ogunbowale

The Dallas guard can put up points in a hurry and has averaged 20.6 points in her career. Ogunbowale has two of the top 25 all-time single season performances for scoring average. Dallas has gotten better the last few seasons and she hasn’t needed to score as much for the team to be successful which could lessen her chances of breaking the mark.

Breanna Stewart

The versatile New York forward appears three times on the Top 25 scoring average list which ties Taurasi for the most of any active player. She averaged a career-best 22.98 last season and Stewart is one of the top offensive players in the game. The 30-year-old may approach Taurasi’s career scoring mark some day, but with a stellar team around her in New York, she may not need to score as much in a single season to really threaten Wilson’s record.

Wilson

She’s in her prime at 28-years-old and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Wilson continue to score at a record pace for the next few years. Last season she scored 913 points, but routinely sat out in the fourth quarter with Las Vegas up 20 points. Now she’s averaging a career-high 34 minutes a game. The only thing that could hold her back from breaking her own mark would be if Hammon decides to cut back her minutes again.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball