Another all-time record earned by South Carolina basketball alum A'ja Wilson
By Kevin Miller
The WNBA record book editors have gotten a workout this season thanks to South Carolina basketball legend A'ja Wilson.
The former Gamecock has been dominant for her Las Vegas Aces squad and is the clear favorite to win the WNBA MVP award. She has become "the first player ever" or "the fastest player ever" to several statistical milestones this year, and she has put up stat lines that have never been seen before in women's professional basketball.
On Friday, A'ja Wilson put her name down in history yet again as she lit up the box score against the Atlanta Dream. In what became an 83-72 win for Vegas, Wilson scored 26 points, secured 16 rebounds, blocked 5 shots, dished out 5 assists, and turned the ball over 0 times while shooting 9-17 from the field and 8-10 from the free throw line. Before this performance, there had never been a 25-point, 15-rebound, 5-block, 5-assist, 0-turnover game in league history.
Wilson was dominant on both ends of the floor as she made life difficult for the Dream and fellow former Gamecocks Allisha Gray and Laeticia Amihere. Along the way, the world's best player also pulled down the 2000th rebound of her career.
This season, Wilson leads the WNBA in scoring and is in line to set a new all-time WNBA record for points scored. She also is on pace to break the old rebounding record, but she trails Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese for the current league lead as both players are on record-setting tears on the glass. Wilson has the most blocked shots in the W, as well, and she could win another WNBA Defensive Player of the Year honor.
South Carolina basketball fans who watch the WNBA will get another chance to watch Wilson's assault on the record books when the Aces take the floor again on Sunday against the Phoenix Mercury at 4:00 PM ET.