The Las Vegas Aces’ quest for a three-peat has come to an abrupt end! After showcasing their grit in Game 3 with a solid 14-point win over the New York Liberty, the Aces found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard in Game 4. The Liberty responded with the same margin victory, ultimately knocking ‘the Sin City’ franchise out of the playoffs.

The Aces forward A’ja Wilson faced challenges on the court, unable to make the impact she desired against a tough opponent. Yet, despite the setback, she remains proud of her team’s efforts. Speaking to the media after the game, she took a grounded approach to their playoff exit, accepting the result, but also taking a moment to appreciate her teammates.

“We did pretty well. It wasn’t our outcome. But damn we did pretty good,” stated the 3x MVP. She finished the game with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks, however, it was not enough to take Becky Hammon’s side over the line as they succumbed to a 76-62 victory.

The 28-year-old forward also has high praises for her head coach as she said, “She is someone that is gonna always give us our all and tell the truth no matter what the ugly. It can be tough at times but you know what she wants. She wants us to be perfect, she wants us this to be the best. And I feel like she instilled it in all of us.”

The 2x WNBA champion has now found herself making history in a way she would not have expected. She became the first ‘Unanimous MVP”, in both WNBA and NBA history, to fall short of reaching the Finals. This twist comes after a season where the New York Liberty seemed to be her biggest nemesis, consistently challenging her team at every turn.

Liberty’s dominance and A’ja Wilson’s struggles: A season-long challenge for the Aces

With their Game 4 loss to the Liberty, the Las Vegas Aces suffered their sixth defeat against Breanna Stewart and Co. The Liberty had swept the Aces during the regular season, and while Becky Hammon’s team managed to snag a Game 3 win in the playoffs, it wasn’t enough to stop New York’s dominance in the series. Well, a lot of this also stems from Wilson not being her best against Sandy Brondello’s squad.

The South Carolina alumna who averaged an impressive 26.9 points during the regular season, saw her numbers take a noticeable dip against the Liberty. In fact, despite facing them six times this season, Wilson never managed to break the 25-point mark—a feat she had achieved against every other team. It’s a stark contrast that highlights just how tough the Liberty have been for her this year.

She has amassed a total of 128 points in six games facing Liberty, which brings her average to 21.3 points against them. While this is a decent figure, it’s definitely much lower than her regular season average of 26.9. However, Wilson’s taking proud on her team showcases that her leadership and determination remain undeniable, despite a less than decent individual outing against Liberty.