A'ja Wilson Makes WNBA History vs Indiana Fever
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Some believe Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson to be the best player in the WNBA today, and her professional accolades seem to back that up.
A seven-time All-Star, a four-time All-WNBA first-team selection, a three-time league MVP, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and WNBA Finals MVP, Wilson has a resume that's second-to-none.
And despite the Aces falling to .500 with an 80-70 loss to the Indiana Fever on Thursday, Wilson still played like the best player on the court.
The 28-year-old center scored a team-high 20 points along with six rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block — and she wrote her name in the WNBA record books as well.
A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces reacts to a score during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on July 16, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.
A'ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces reacts to a score during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on July 16, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.More Basketball: Angel Reese Bracing for WNBA Suspension After Sky-Lynx
Wilson tied recently retired Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi for the most 20-point games through her first eight seasons (150), according to espnW.
Taurasi, 43, retired after the 2024 season.
She was an 11-time All-Star, 10-time All-WNBA first-team selection, five-time league scoring champion, three-time WNBA champion, and two-time WNBA Finals MVP.
A'ja Wilson joining elite company 🤝 making WNBA history pic.twitter.com/YogW9YFHe7 — espnW (@espnW) July 25, 2025
More Basketball: Wings Rookie Paige Bueckers Ties WNBA Record vs. Seattle Storm
It was Wilson's 13th 20-point game this season, and her 10th since the beginning of June. Her next 20-point game will give her sole possession of the record.
Wilson is tied with Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum for the third-most 20-point games this season behind Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (16) and Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (14).
Wilson's feat is just the latest in a long list of records and notable accomplishments in her career.
This year, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 career points, and she became just the second player ever to be a unanimous MVP selection.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is Jayden Daniels a TOP 5 QB in 2025?
n this NFL quarterback rankings breakdown, we debate Jayden Daniels' spot at No. 5 after his stellar rookie year in 2024, where he led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. With new weapons like Deebo Samuel added to the mix, is Daniels poised for even bigger things? We compare him to Jared Goff (ranked No. 10), who finished 5th in MVP voting last year but faces challenges with the Detroit Lions losing key pieces like OC Ben Johnson and interior O-line strength.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bourne compares Diggs' ACL return to Peterson rushing for 2,000 yards
Kendrick Bourne reacts to Stefon Diggs' return from injury and compares the wide receiver's impressive start to camp to Adrian Peterson's MVP season. Bourne compares Diggs' ACL return to Peterson rushing for 2,000 yards originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"You play 10 minutes and whatever you do, it's not good enough" - Isaiah Hartenstein reflects on his Nuggets days as Nikola Jokic's replacement
"You play 10 minutes and whatever you do, it's not good enough" - Isaiah Hartenstein reflects on his Nuggets days as Nikola Jokic's replacement originally appeared on Basketball Network. The story of how the Denver Nuggets stole Nikola Jokic with the 41st pick and shocked the league after he became a three-time MVP and delivered the franchise its first-ever title is already well-known. As a rookie, he didn't get major minutes right away, as Jusuf Nurkic was ahead of him in the rotation. However, it didn't take long for Michael Malone and his coaching staff to realize the value they had in their big man. But just as Jokic was starting to break out and enter MVP conversations, German center Isaiah Hartenstein was also on the roster. At that time, he didn't bring much long-term potential as he was a role player, just one of many bigs in the Jokic era who didn't get much run behind him. Hartenstein recently reflected on that period in a podcast appearance. "Back when I was in Denver, I kept wondering why I wasn't getting more of a chance," he said. "For every guy who's a backup for Jokic, that's probably the hardest job in the world. You play 10 minutes and whatever you do, it's not good enough compared to when Jokic does it. That was the hardest part. After that, I worked on my mental strength and everything started to get better." "I learned how to pass. I was already good, but the details — how he uses his eyes to direct players... I leveled up because I started seeing the game differently, I learned how to manipulate the game. But he's so smart, his intelligence is off the charts. When we were in the playoffs, he was the coach. He told people where to go, what to do..." Hartenstein ended up winning the direct matchup against Jokic Denver clearly didn't show their expertise in evaluating talent in the frontcourt in Hartenstein's case, as he later became an NBA champion with the Oklahoma City Thunder as their starting center. Hartenstein was the perfect connector between the frontcourt and backcourt, slicing through defenses with his passing and being a beast on the offensive glass. Just how good he's become was evident in a seven-game playoff series against Jokic this year, where he more than held his own. Jokic had the worst three-game stretch of his career, shooting just 19-of-63. Not all of that was because of Hartenstein, of course, but credit must be given as he fought like a warrior and ended up winning the direct matchup against Jokic. Still, the task wasn't easy, as the German admitted that Denver was their toughest challenge in the playoffs. "I think the only series where we were kind of a little bit on the ropes was Denver. Just Jokic, I mean, the way they play. They've been there before. And that was the only series where we were like, even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance. Every other series, we were like, if we do the right things, we're good," he said. Hartenstein has remained humble Despite not getting a real opportunity in Denver because of Jokic and later eliminating him in the playoffs, Hartenstein has remained humble and even praised Jokic for how much he influenced his game. However, when you look at the numbers, he had career lows, outside of his rookie season, during his 30 games with the Nuggets. Back to the beginning — who knows where the Nuggets would have been had they seen the potential in Hartenstein, a player who can easily play alongside another big. They nailed the Jokic pick, no question, but have struggled to find a reliable backup ever since and it's becoming a clear issue. The arrival of Jonas Valanciunas is a serious move. Still, NBA legend Eddie Johnson believes he's headed down the same road as every other Jokic backup and that he should have returned to Europe. "This is going to get ugly," he stated on his X profile. "Again, he will never say it, but he knows his minutes will be minuscule and the critics will run rampant with the blame game. Basically, come back and play eight mins a game and have these Jokic stat nerds blame you with a plus/minus of how you are failing him. He like I am going to Greece!" It's hard to predict how Valanciunas will look coming off the bench for the Nuggets, but it's even harder to imagine him getting significant minutes, given how much Denver has relied on Jokic since he entered his prime. Hartenstein felt that firsthand, but this season, he got a bit of story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
