Aces' A'ja Wilson makes exclusive WNBA history after victory vs. Mercury
On a night when the Las Vegas Aces needed every ounce of determination, A'ja Wilson showed once again why she belongs among the all-time greats. Inside a packed Footprint Center, Wilson delivered a performance that will be etched into WNBA history. She piled up 26 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 assists to lead the Aces past the Phoenix Mercury, 84–81, snapping the Mercury's six-game winning streak.
Advertisement
This latest masterpiece gave Wilson the most games in league history with at least 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. It was another landmark achievement just days after she became the fastest player ever to score 5,000 career points, reaching the milestone in her 238th game.
Phoenix made sure the Aces had to work for everything. The Mercury had momentum and confidence after their longest winning streak of the season so far. Kahleah Copper came out firing and finished with 15 points and six rebounds. Alyssa Thomas nearly recorded a triple-double with 16 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists, continuing her run as one of the most versatile players in the league. Satou Sabally also gave the Aces trouble, adding 10 points and nine rebounds, and Sami Whitcomb with 14 points, including four makes from beyond the arc.
Despite the Mercury's balanced attack, Wilson kept the Aces steady. She scored critical baskets in the paint, pulled down key defensive rebounds, and threaded passes to teammates when the defense collapsed around her. Jackie Young delivered a strong performance with 15 points and six assists, providing consistent scoring on the perimeter. Chelsea Gray contributed nine points and five assists while orchestrating the offense in crucial moments. Off the bench, Aaliyah Nye stepped up with a career-high 16 points, burying five three-pointers that helped swing the game.
The Mercury built an early lead in the first quarter and looked poised to run the game. But Las Vegas came out of halftime with renewed urgency, clamping down defensively and finding offensive rhythm. Wilson's activity on the glass fueled the comeback, and Nye's shooting provided a spark. The Aces outscored the Mercury in the third quarter to erase the deficit.
Advertisement
In the closing minutes, the game turned into a tense duel. With the score tied at 81- 81-all, Wilson refused to be denied. She scored the go-ahead basket with 22 seconds left, then anchored the defense to secure the win. Her calm presence under pressure lifted the entire team. Each time the Mercury looked ready to steal the momentum, Wilson and her teammates responded.
Beyond the stats, the night captured exactly why Wilson has become the face of the franchise. She did everything, from scoring, rebounding, setting up her teammates, and inspiring confidence in big moments. Her ability to lead in so many ways makes her one of the most complete players the WNBA has ever seen.
With this win, Las Vegas improved to 8–8 and picked up a critical victory on the road. The Aces will look to build on this performance as they try to climb the standings. For Phoenix, the loss stung, but the Mercury showed resilience that will serve them well down the stretch.
When Wilson walked off the court, even Mercury fans had to acknowledge they had witnessed something special. Nights like this are why her name belongs next to the legends. A'ja Wilson is not just breaking records; she is redefining what is possible in the WNBA.
Related: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg reveals his favorite WNBA player's game
Related: Aces' A'ja Wilson reveals The Princess and the Frog inspiration after historic milestone
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hypebeast
9 minutes ago
- Hypebeast
Caitlin Clark Wore a Nike Kobe 6 Protro "Cookie Monster" PE
Summary Caitlin Clarkmay have been slowed down by a groin injury earlier this season, but it didn't stop her from securing her second WNBA All-Star honor. The sharpshooter continues to dominate and has cemented herself as one of the faces of the league despite it only being her second season. Beyond that, her partnership withNike Basketballcontinues to blossom. After wearing various Nike Kobe PEs last season, she went on to drop her own Kobe 5 Protro'Indiana Fever'at the end of last month. While we await her inevitable signature shoe reveal, she's just debuted yet another PE. Clark stepped out in a newNike Kobe 6 ProtroPE this past weekend, revealing a 'Cookie Monster' colorway that is inspired by the belovedSesame Streetcharacter. The Muppet's rich blue fur is nodded to throughout the shoe while its special laces (not used during the game) favor a shaggy material. From there, the tongue nods to chocolate chip cookies with its brown-on-brown exterior. At the time of writing, neither Caitlin Clark nor Nike Basketball have indicated that this 'Cookie Monster' PE of the Kobe 6 Protro will ever hit retail shelves. However, stay tuned for updates, including more Caitlin Clark x Nike rumors, as it is possible that the shoe will eventually find its way onto shelves like some of her other PEs.
New York Times
11 minutes ago
- New York Times
Arch Manning is comfortable in the spotlight, but wants to earn it: ‘Talk is cheap'
ATLANTA — It was, Arch Manning would say later, good to get away from everybody. A boys' trip, he and his three best friends from high school went to San Diego on a long weekend this summer. They played some golf, hit the town, went to a Padres game. And never dealt with anyone recognizing him. 'No!' Manning said, his face brightening. 'It was kind of refreshing. It felt great.' Advertisement Not that he has a problem dealing with fame. Not growing up as Archie Manning's grandfather. Not growing up as Peyton and Eli Manning's nephew. Not even the past few years, as he became the nation's top football recruit, then the nation's top backup quarterback. That was when the fame got annoying. Manning would walk to class on the University of Texas campus and people would take his picture, ask for selfies. He hadn't done anything for his team yet, didn't like the attention. So he would call his mom on the way to class, or pretend to be on the phone. The not playing part was harder. He knew it was a strong possibility when he chose Texas, which had Quinn Ewers for one, maybe two years — it was two, it turns out. For Manning to go there anyway, for the five-star to be the backup for two years in the day of the transfer portal, oh, everyone talked about Manning's maturity and unselfishness. What most didn't see was Manning, as a freshman, venting in the film room to Paul Chryst, the former Wisconsin coach who was on Texas' staff. 'It was an hour of me watching film — and an hour of me venting,' Manning said. Those darker days in a darkened film room are gone. The spotlight, and the pressure that goes with it, has returned. The Arch Manning era is underway. 'Arch Manning will be at Position 2 in the front of the room,' said the moderator in the main room at SEC media days on Tuesday. And with that, a horde of media formed around Position 2, the biggest scrum of the first two days, probably all week. Rows deep of people trying to get camera shots. One media member kept trying to get on the stage to get a better shot, despite repeated warnings. Talking ball 🎙️ @ArchManning — Texas Football (@TexasFootball) July 15, 2025 'I'm not gonna tell you again,' an SEC staffer said, as the reporter sheepishly got down. Yes, he's a Manning, which is a big part of it. But the attention also comes from being talked about as a Heisman front-runner and the possible No. 1 pick in the draft. Preseason accolades that confound detractors, such as … Arch Manning. Advertisement 'I'm not really sure how they get these opinions. I've only played what, two games,' he said. 'I guess that's nice to say. But you know, that doesn't mean anything. Talk is cheap, I've gotta go prove it.' There's a lot still to play out. There's no assurance the hype is real. But if Manning plays as well as he interviews, he's going to be fine. The affability of his grandfather and uncles has rubbed off. So has the comfort before a camera, to a point. 'They're better actors than me,' he said. What Arch does have on his uncles is that he's a better runner, as the world saw last year when he served as a change-of-pace quarterback, subbed in when Steve Sarkisian wanted his Texas offense to give the defense a different look. A plot twist for the nephew of two pocket quarterbacks, who have said that speed skips a generation. Unfairly, according to their nephew. Sarkisian said Manning probably won't 'major' in running as the now-permanent starter. But it does give the offense flexibility, and Manning's knowledge of the system, and game snaps, mean Sarkisian can keep the playbook open. 'We've got a sense and a feel of things that he does really well,' Sarkisian said. 'And we can highlight those things all while still staying true systematically to who we are.' Sarkisian also spoke about Manning's calmness and quick wit, something that will help in what should be a long season: Texas has a mammoth opener, at defending national champion Ohio State, then has an SEC slog that includes a November trip to Georgia, and then potentially the College Football Playoff. The pressure may now be on Manning. But it may be that the long wait to play has Manning feeling less pressure and more relief to be playing again. 'You've got to walk the walk first. As much as it wasn't always fun sitting the first two years, I've got a lot of respect for my teammates, who were playing,' he said. 'Now I come at it from a place of love, not just being a turd.' Advertisement The last word made reporters laugh, as they kept doing during an extended session with Manning. Across the room, Texas safety Michael Taaffe noticed. 'I didn't know that he was very funny,' Taaffe said. 'So I think you're kind of giving us some pity laughs.' He was joking. Manning has too many role models to not be good at this. 'And I think his granddad always told him 'the shorter the better,'' Taaffee said. Short but still revealing enough. Like when Manning acknowledged that while he doesn't post much on social media, he does check it often. Enough so that someone online — Robert Ratliff, a former walk-on player at Ole Miss — offered him $20 if he didn't check it for an entire week. Manning took him up on the offer, and deleted his apps before coming to Atlanta. 'So I won't know if I did good or bad in these interviews,' he said. 'Till Sunday.' The reviews for this should be good. The actual football? Well, it's finally time to find out. 'I'm ready to roll,' Manning said.
Associated Press
13 minutes ago
- Associated Press
The wait is over for Texas and Arch Manning, though quarterback admits it wasn't easy being backup
ATLANTA (AP) — Arch Manning admits now that going from highly sought-after high school recruit to the Texas backup quarterback wasn't an easy transition. 'This is not really a big deal, but I played every year in high school,' Manning said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days. 'It was a 2-A high school. That doesn't mean anything, but from sitting out and not playing, that was pretty tough.' The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four touchdowns last season but saw only limited playing time after September behind Quinn Ewers. Manning could have seen the field earlier had he gone elsewhere. But in an era where college athletes have newfound maneuverability thanks to the transfer portal — and the ability strike lucrative deals at interested schools — the quarterback chose to ride it out. '(Transferring) never really crossed my mind,' Manning said. 'I knew Texas was the place I wanted to be. It was the city I wanted to be in, a great education. I had friends there. I was still developing and growing as a football player and a person. So I never really wanted to leave. If there was somewhere else I wanted to be, I would have gone.' Two years since first arriving in Austin, his days of watching offensive possessions from the sideline is likely behind him. Ewers moved on and up, drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round in April, passing the torch to the newest playmaker in one of football's most famous families. Manning's confidence masks the simple fact that the most talked-about player in college football has played in just 12 career games going into the Aug. 30 season-opener at Ohio State, the defending national champion and the team that beat the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl last January. Now that the wait is over, coach Steve Sarkisian thinks he is ready. 'He's got an unbelievable work ethic. And I think, if he stays true to himself, that's going to help him navigate these waters as they present themselves,' Sarkisian said. 'I think he's prepared for the moment, but now it's just time for him to go do it and enjoy doing it quite frankly.'
