What A’ja Wilson did yesterday against Chicago Sky was something that left everyone in awe of the Las Vegas Aces star. While Wilson made Aces the winner, the WNBA rookie Angel Reese also gave a cracking performance for the Sky with 11 points and 22 rebounds. Nevertheless, the rookie’s efforts were not enough to match the experienced Wilson’s brilliance. And now, Stephen A. Smith has weighed in on how rookies like Reese and Caitlin Clark, despite their potential, are yet to outshine the dominance that Wilson consistently brings to the court.

While discussing A’ja Wilson’s class performance this season, Stephen A. Smith said, “So, right now, Angel Reese is doing some special things. I give her a lot of props. There’s no question about it. And, and, and, not only that she’s doing it while Caitlin Clark is elevating her level of play. So, the two of them (Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese) together have done such sensational things for the WNBA, and they deserve a lot of credit for it. But, this is A’ja Wilson’s world, and everybody else is living in it.”  

Well, Smith’s point carries a lot of weight, especially when you consider that Wilson currently leads the league in scoring, averaging an impressive 26.6 points per game. But, her dominance doesn’t stop there as she ranks second in rebounds with 11.9 per game. And just last night, she again carried the Aces by scoring 20 points and 18 rebounds against the Sky.

However, it would be unfair to not mention what rookies have brought to the WNBA. While the Sky’s Reese tops the rebounds list averaging 12.9 every game, the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark has already broken many records in her debut season. Clark leads the assist chart with 8.3 assists per game this season. Recently, Clark also broke the long-standing rookie assist record. But, Smith believes these rookies are just not enough to stand against A’ja Wilson and the Aces’ mission of winning the WNBA for the third consecutive time. Let’s see what Smith had to say about the Aces championship run.

Stephen A. Smith on A’ja Wilson and Las Vegas Aces’ three-peat mission

The Las Vegas Aces have been winning the WNBA for the last two years and they are all pumped up to make it a three-peat by again clinching the title this season. And if you hear from Smith, he is more than confident about the Aces and much of his reassurance comes from how Wilson has been firing up the league. “I’m not even concerned about the Las Vegas Aces repeat this championship,” stated Smith.

He also believes there is no one to match the level of gameplay Aces are executing. He said, “I got to see it, to believe it, that somebody’s gonna knock them off because they got to deal with that woman, that great coach, that great squad, they’re going to answer the call when it’s time. And you’re gonna have to show me that you can knock them off. I just don’t believe that. I think that I’ve been saying that for months.” 

And what makes it interesting is the ESPN analyst showing such strong confidence for the Aces despite being a supporter of their rival, New York Liberty. Earlier, Smith said, “I’m always rooting for New York. But, the Las Vegas Aces know how to win. They know what it takes to win.” Well, the Aces came out on the better side in their last game. It’s also important to highlight it was a very close win, and it’s all thanks to Wilson’s last-second basket.

While they might have found momentum, the road to a third straight title is still long as Wilson’s team currently finds themselves on the fifth seed. Next up for them is Dallas Wings on Tuesday.