A'ja Wilson ties WNBA record for most points in a game

Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson made WNBA history on Tuesday night. Playing in a game against the Atlanta Dream, Wilson tied a WNBA record by pouring in 53 points — nearly half the team’s total — in leading the Aces to a 112-100 victory.

The former South Carolina star did so on extremely efficient shooting as she made 16-of-23 field goals (69.6%) in addition to going 20-of-21 (95.2%) on her free throws. Not only that, but she pulled down seven rebounds and was a force defensively with four blocks.

A’ja Wilson’s 53 points ties the WNBA record for most points in a game 😤

What a night for the 2-time MVP 👏 #ThatsAW pic.twitter.com/QDrzgswYAq

— ESPN (@espn) August 23, 2023

Wilson’s 53 points tied the previous record set by center Liz Cambage in 2018 with the Dallas Wings. Las Vegas improved to 29-4 on the season with the win and currently sits atop the WNBA standings.

Wilson got off to a hot start, scoring nine of the Aces’ first 12 points. She ended the first quarter with 16 points as Las Vegas trailed 34-33. She cooled down a bit in the second quarter to score only six points and make just one field goal as she entered halftime with 22.

Wilson caught fire again to start the third quarter as Las Vegas outscored Atlanta 26-13 to take the lead for good. She entered the fourth quarter with a total of 35 points, needing 18 more to tie the record. Wilson reached that mark with just 48 seconds to play as she drilled a pair of free throws following a technical foul.

So far this season, Wilson is 21.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting a career-best 53.4%. She’ll hope to carry the momentum from Tuesday night over as the Aces enter the final three weeks of regular season play before the playoffs start on Sept. 13.

More on the WNBA career of A’ja Wilson

Wilson was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft following a four-year career at South Carolina. She helped to lead the Gamecocks to an NCAA Championship during the 2016-17 season and followed that up by winning the consensus Player of the Year in 2017-18.

She immediately found success on her way to being named WNBA Rookie of the Year while averaging 20.7 points 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Wilson went on win the league’s MVP award by her third season in 2020. She followed that up by winning another MVP in 2022 as she led Las Vegas to a WNBA Championship, the first of her career.

Wilson has been named a WNBA All-Star in five of her six seasons so far. As she aims to defend her status as MVP, her performance from Tuesday night sends a clear message to the rest of the league.