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Aces' A'ja Wilson explodes for 53 points, ties WNBA single-game scoring record – CBS Sports
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Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson tied the WNBA’s single-game scoring record on Tuesday night with a stunning 53 points in a 112-100 win over the Atlanta Dream. In the process, the Aces tied the 2014 Phoenix Mercury for the most wins in a season with 29.
“It feels good, it does feel good,” Wilson said. “But I didn’t do this alone. My teammates get all the glory because without them I don’t even get the basketball. I’m not just saying that because it’s politically correct, no, our locker room is tight. I’m nothing without them. I greatly appreciate coming to work with these ladies. They make it fun.”
Wilson’s effort tied former WNBA star Liz Cambage’s 53-point outing for the Dallas Wings on July 17, 2018. The only other player in WNBA history to score 50 points in a game was Riquna Williams, who put up 51 points for the Tulsa Shock on Sept. 8, 2013. Williams is technically Wilson’s teammate on the Aces but is currently away from the team indefinitely due to a domestic violence investigation.
In addition to setting a new career-high, Wilson set the Aces’ franchise scoring record. She also became just the second player in WNBA history to make 20 free throws in a game, joining Cynthia Cooper, who made 22-of-24 attempts on July 3, 1998 for the now-defunct Houston Comets.
The record-tying moment was a bit anticlimactic, as Wilson scored her 53rd point at a foul line while shooting a pair of technical free throws that the Aces received due to Dream coach Tanisha Wright’s ejection in the final minute. That did not dampen Wilson’s overall performance, however.
She was absolutely dominant on both ends of the floor, shooting 16-of-23 from the field and 20-of-21 from the free-throw line while adding seven rebounds and four blocks. The Dream entered the game with the fifth-best defense in the league, but had no answer for Wilson in and around the paint.
With the win, the Aces moved to 29-4 on the season and increased their lead over the New York Liberty in the race for the No. 1 seed to 3.5 games.
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