LAS VEGAS — Nice job, WNBA, you managed to give A’ja Wilson additional motivational fuel.
Not that she needed it, mind you.
I’m sure the Seattle Storm was happy when the news broke Thursday prior to the winner-take-all Game 3 of the opening round of the playoffs that the Las Vegas Aces superstar forward was the Co-Defensive Player of the Year with Minnesota’s Alanna Smith.
Predictably, she took out whatever anger she had on the Storm, sending it back to the Emerald City for the season as she had 38 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots in leading the Aces to the W semifinals, 74-73 at Michelob Ultra Arena.
Las Vegas will host the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of the best-of-5 semis at noon Sunday at MUA. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.
But as great as Wilson was, the Storm nearly overcame that stellar effort. Erica Wheeler, who had 16 points, had a chance to win it with 4.4 remaining. But her 14-foot shot failed to drop and Seattle’s valiant effort to spring the upset came up just short.
“I’m happy how our team rallied together,” Wilson said. “I’m really pleased with how we bought into each other.”
Wilson thought she was going to have 40 points but her attempt at the game winner was put back by Jackie Young with 12.4 seconds left to put the Aces back in the lead.
“I just tried to make a play and contribute,” said Young, who finished with 14 points and four steals. “I didn’t have a lot go right for me tonight.”
But Young always seems to be in the right place at the right time and make the big play. The Aces wouldn’t have won 17 in a row without Young and they wouldn’t be in the semis without her either.
It was the first time in the history of the award that two players shared the honor. And nothing against Smith, who is a talented player in her own right. But Wilson has been dominant at the defensive end of the court, not just this year, but for some time now. It makes you wonder if she’s going to have to share the MVP award or, worse, be snubbed altogether.
If that sounds like homerism, forget it. Facts are facts. Wilson is this league’s best player. Period. End of discussion.
Put it this way. You are a WNBA expansion team and you can have your pick of any player currently on a roster to start over. Who are you taking? Caitlin Clark? Breanna Stewart? Napheesa Collier?
No, no and no. You’re taking A’ja Wilson. Or you might as well sell the team and fire the general manager.
Wilson didn’t say anything about sharing the honor with Smith. She basically let her play speak for her. Becky Hammon, the Aces’ coach who is Wilson’s staunchest supporter and loudest advocate, said Wilson wasn’t going to be stopped.
“The play-calling didn’t matter,” she said. “A’ja Wilson took over the game.”
With Seattle willing to guard her straight up and not double- or triple-team her like most of Las Vegas’ opponents, Wilson had to be wary of getting over-hyped by the way she was being defended.
“Sometimes I got too excited and rushed my shot,” said Wilson, who set the tone for the evening early by making her first two attempts. She had 12 by halftime while helping limit the Storm to just seven points total in the second quarter.
And was just getting rolling. In the third quarter she had 15 points and 27 in total as the Aces remained in front 52-48. But that lead would be tenuous the rest of the way and Seattle would lead late it several junctures before Young’s outback and some solid defense combined with a little luck would ultimately deny Wheeler and the Storm.
“I’ll take that shot every time,” Wheeler said.
And while Seattle should be proud of its effort, coming back to win Game 2 and fighting hard to nearly win the series, ultimately, the league’s best player showed why she is who she is. And it’s why the Aces are still playing basketball as we begin autumn next week.
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