A’ja Wilson Reflects on Successful Night vs Angel Reese, Optimistic About Chasing 3-Peat

The Las Vegas Aces are now slowly turning into their old self. A victory against the fierce Chicago Sky in the Windy City means that now they have won 3 games on the trot. This is after their dismal run, where they lost 5 out of 7, that managed to bring the tears out of their 2023 WNBA Finals MVP A’ja Wilson. Now, this reversal of fortunes has delighted the 27-year-old and as a result, she expressed her hope for the franchise’s revival.

A relaxed Becky Hammon along with Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson interacted with the media post their 95-83 victory over Chicago. Soon after, one of the journalists asked Wilson what she liked the most in their ongoing 3-game winning stretch. “We’re getting into our flow. Where we’re comfortable and we’re really running our system. But I think that the biggest thing is we’re really starting to lock down on the defensive end and on our assignments. I think that is the biggest difference between our wins and our losses,” A’ja Wilson told reporters.

Despite being the second-best offensive team in the league with a scoring average of 87.2 p.p.g, their opponent’s p.p.g of 84.6 places them 8th overall. Consequently, the average point differential of +3.2 is way below the table toppers like the New York Liberty or the Connecticut Sun, who are garnering +9.7 and +7.3, respectively.

She further evaluated the impact of their improved defense by saying, “Seems as if we were just behind or just a little slow or just not communicating.” In their last 3 wins, the Aces have stopped the opponents at 83, 74, and 83 points. Against Chicago, they allowed only 44% FG and 27% from three.

On a personal front, the 2x MVP had a great night. She had 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in an all-around impressive performance. Meanwhile, the 6 ft 4 in forward also spared a thought or two about Chicago’s ferocious rookie Angel Reese.

A’ja Wilson lauds Angel Reese

The Wintrust Arena saw the SEC duo of Angel Reese and A’ja Wilson exchange a very warm hug by the end of the game. Following this, she also heaped praises on the 2023 national champion in the post-game press conference. Wilson said, “I feel like we got some growth that we can learn when it comes to guarding her and defending her, but obviously, she held her own.” 

The 3x All-American registered her 9th straight double-double in this game. Moreover, her 18 points and 11 rebounds now equal Candace Parker’s tally for the WNBA’s longest streak of double-doubles in a season.

There is no denying that the matchup indeed provided thorough entertainment to the fans. The win obviously is a huge boost for the Aces’ chances of making it to the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if they can carry the momentum in their next fixture against the Mystics.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.