The Las Vegas Aces walked into Saturday night carrying the weight of championship expectations. Over the last five years, they’ve set the standard in the WNBA. Led by three-time league MVP A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas made it to three of the last five WNBA Finals and won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. But what just happened would shake the franchise to its core.
How Did the Minnesota Lynx Deliver a Record-Breaking Beatdown?
The franchise hit a devastating low point Saturday, losing in record-setting fashion. A stacked Minnesota Lynx lineup came to Nevada and steamrolled an Aces team that looked outmatched, outworked, and outplayed over four quarters. The 53-point blowout was the largest margin in WNBA history for a win by a visiting team, and Wilson, who isn’t used to being on the losing end, voiced her frustrations clearly after the game.
The 10,488 fans who made it out to the Michelob ULTRA Arena this weekend watched their hometown Aces get crushed in a one-sided affair. Things went from bad to worse for Becky Hammon’s team. Minnesota took a commanding 35-17 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. By halftime, the deficit had ballooned to 34 points.
As the final seconds ticked away, the scoreboard displayed a lopsided 111-58 final score, cementing it as a record win for a visiting team in the WNBA.
What Did A’ja Wilson Tell Her Teammates After the Humiliation?
Wilson was visibly upset after the humiliating loss and wouldn’t let this slide. The 28-year-old warned her teammates on Sunday, calling on them to step up and change their mindset.
“I feel like one thing I did do is send a message to them and just say if you weren’t embarrassed from yesterday, then don’t come into this gym. You’re not needed or wanted here. We need the mindset to shift because that was embarrassing,” said Wilson.
“It happens and we have those games. People have those games. Teams have those games. But it’s like how do you bounce back from that. That was my message I relayed to them and getting them to the same mindset that we can all have that we have to play for each other. That’s the only way we can win anything. Not even just a championship, just winning life,” Wilson added.
Can the Aces Turn Their Season Around After This Wake-Up Call?
Wilson is used to winning everywhere she goes. As a high school senior, she won a state championship. She brought that same fire and intensity to the University of South Carolina, helping the Gamecocks win the NCAA national championship in 2017.
Few players have impacted a franchise the way Wilson has in her eighth season with the organization. The talented center was instrumental in guiding the Aces to their two championships, earning WNBA Finals MVP honors in 2023.
Wilson is in the midst of another MVP-caliber season. She is averaging 21.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 2.3 blocks, and leads the Aces lineup in almost every major category.
It has been a shaky start to the campaign for the Aces, currently seventh in the standings, but there is still time for Las Vegas to turn things around. Wilson’s criticism seemed to have the desired effect. The Aces bounced back on Sunday with a 101-77 home win against the Golden State Valkyries to record their 15th win of the season.
Leave a Reply