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A'ja Wilson Had Perfect Quip After Posting First Career 20-20 Game in Aces Win
Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson's shot wasn't falling at its usual clip on Wednesday night, but that didn't stop her from leaving her mark on the game, an 84-79 win over the Seattle Storm.
Wilson, who scored 24 points and pulled down 20 rebounds, posted the first 20-20 game of her career—and just the 21st 20-20 game in WNBA history.
After the game, Wilson was asked what pulling down 20 rebounds means to her. Wilson joked that, with her shot not falling, she had to start affecting the game somehow, as she didn't make the road trip just to run laps up and down the court.
"Getting 20 rebounds, good lord, I never would have thought," Wilson said. "I was just trying to get more possessions for my team. My shot wasn't going, so I was like 'I gotta do something out here, I cannot just be out here for cardio, because I did not travel to Seattle for just cardio.' "
"So it turned out to be rebounds and that's what it is tonight. I'm grateful that I was able to just do that for my team."
Wilson, who added four blocked shots and three steals in the victory, also explained why she takes such pride in her defensive effort.
"I feel like that's the side I take personal, the defensive side," Wilson said. "It's crazy, if you would have asked me my rookie year, it was like, 'What's defense? I'm never playing it. ' "
"But I learned defense wins games and championships for you. I really have to be that locked in."
The two-time MVP's efforts have certainly gone a long way, both in years past—the Aces have won back-to-back WNBA titles—and this year, which has seen the Aces (14-7) race out to the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, Wilson's star has only grown, as she was named the WNBA's cover athlete for the NBA 2K25 video game earlier on Wednesday.
Wilson and the Aces get a day off Thursday before they're back in action against the Atlanta Dream on Friday.
Tim Capurso is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated, primarily covering MLB, college football and college basketball. Before joining SI in November 2023, Capurso worked at RotoBaller and ClutchPoints and is a graduate of Assumption University. When he's not working, he can be found at the gym, reading a book or enjoying a good hike. A resident of New York, Capurso openly wonders if the Giants will ever be a winning football team again.