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A'ja Wilson Explains How Early-Season Woes Have Taught Aces to 'Punch Back'

After a disappointing start, the Las Vegas Aces are the hottest team in the WNBA. Star center A'ja Wilson explains how their early struggles fueled a ferocious second-half run.
Lou Orlando|
Aug 15, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) shoots over Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Aug 15, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) shoots over Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

No team is hotter in the WNBA than the Las Vegas Aces.

Triumphing 81-75 in a pivotal game against the Atlanta Dream, the Aces celebrated their 12th consecutive win, tying a franchise record set in 2012, when the organization was known as the San Antonio Silver Stars.

In just 24 days, Las Vegas has surged from eighth to second in the standings, seizing sole possession of the No. 2 seed after Wednesday night's victory.

It's a remarkable turnaround from a team that looked dead in the water heading into the All-Star break.

A 70-68 loss to the Washington Mystics on July 10 put the Aces at 9-11 and out of a playoff spot entirely. At the time, Las Vegas had the third-lowest output in the league, averaging just 79.0 points per game.

The Aces strung together a pair of wins, taking a .500 record into All-Star weekend, but their struggles weren't behind them yet. On July 25, head coach Becky Hammon voiced her frustrations to the media after a 31-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx, lambasting her squad's 'atrocious' defense and poor communication.

Fast forward a month, and there's hardly anything to criticize. The Aces are 14-1 since July 27, boasting the third-best scoring defense and fifth-best offense in that span.

"In the beginning of the season, getting torched -- you touch that stove and you know it's hot," star center A'ja Wilson reflected after Wednesday night's victory over Atlanta. "I think we've learned our lesson, and we've been in so many different situations throughout this season that we now know how to punch back."

Wilson's impact cannot be overstated. Pacing the WNBA with 26.8 points and 2.0 blocks across Las Vegas' 12-game winning streak, the seven-time All-Star headlines the most dominant show in town.

A'ja Wilson-Led Aces Poised For Postseason Success

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson dribbles against the Atlanta Dream.
Aug 27, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) dribbles against Atlanta Dream forward Nia Coffey (12) during the first half at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

With Wilson playing at an MVP-level, Las Vegas seems well-equipped to handle whatever the postseason throws their way.

Adversity and postseason basketball go hand in hand -- and the Aces have already faced their share this season.

"We know how to weather storms," Wilson emphasized. "That's probably something we didn't really see and have in the beginning of the season."

Wilson's remarks evoke a criticism Hammon leveled in late July, following that 31-point loss to Minnesota.

"The greats handle hard well. We have not handled hard well."

At the time, it was hard to argue with Hammon's blunt assessment.

A blockbuster offseason deal saw Kelsey Plum shipped away after seven seasons and two WNBA championships with the Aces. In came another two-time champ, Seattle Storm guard Jewell Lloyd, but the transition was far from seamless.

With Las Vegas reeling from the departures of Plum and assistant coach Natalie Nakase, now heading the Golden State Valkyries, the result was an inconsistent first half from an organization that had made excellence the standard.

But now the Aces have done more than just 'handle hard well' -- they've turned adversity into an advantage with the postseason looming.

"Once you get torched a couple times and once you get that feeling of like being down and having to grind out wins, that's what playoffs is all about, that's what postseason is all about," Wilson added. "We've learned our lesson from the beginning of the season, and we don't wanna go back there."

They're far from the only team to navigate through obstacles this season. Thanks to the league's mounting injury problem, nearly every potential playoff team has had to overcome some adversity.

Still, few teams have rebounded as emphatically as Las Vegas. It's hard to think that anything will rattle the Aces this postseason.

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Lou Orlando
LOU ORLANDO

Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.

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