Tag: A’Ja Wilson

Napheesa Collier or A’ja Wilson for WNBA Defensive Player of the Year? Fans are debating.

Even after Napheesa Collier locked up DPOY, WNBA fans are still debating about the award.

WNBA fans had lots of thoughts about Napheesa Collier winning Defensive Player of the Year.

The WNBA revealed several season awards on Sunday, including Defensive Player of the Year honors. That title went to Collier, who has been the life and soul behind the Minnesota Lynx and a massive reason why the team has one of the best records in the WNBA.

Additionally, Phee’s high motor helped Minnesota sustain a top-five defense for most of the season. With Collier’s help, the Lynx ranked second in defensive rating (94.8) and fewest points allowed (75.6.) At the individual level, Phee ranked second in the WNBA in steals per game (1.91),  fourth in defensive rebounds per game (7.5) and seventh in blocked shots per game (1.41).

Collier’s campaign to secure her new hardware was not without pressure from other players. A’ja Wilson, who also had a stellar season, was right behind Collier in voting.

As you might imagine, there’s been a conversation about Wilson and Collier both being defensive forces. Here’s some of what has been said:

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How to buy New York Liberty vs Las Vegas Aces WNBA playoff tickets

Limited tickets for what promises to be an epic semifinal still remain.

It’s the blockbuster of a WNBA playoff matchup between the two teams with the best odds to win the 2024 championship that we’ve all been waiting for, but we’re getting it a round early.

The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces will meet in a WNBA playoff semifinal matchup for the ages, a rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals where the Aces defeated the Liberty 3-1.

The Aces were up and down this year, earning the No. 4 seed in the 2024 playoffs, but when you are the two-time defending champs and have the unanimous league MVP in A’ja Wilson, all that matters is the playoffs.

On the other hand, the Liberty were far and away the best team during the regular season, and the team is hungry for revenge following last year’s Finals.

Limited tickets remain for what is sure to be an epic playoff series, so get yours now before the games sell out.

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New York Liberty vs Las Vegas Aces schedule

The Liberty and Aces begin their series on Sunday, Sept. 29. With off days between each game, and an extra day for travel, the series schedule looks like this:

Game 1: Aces @ Liberty – Sunday, Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. ET – Buy tickets

Game 2: Aces @ Liberty – Tuesday, Oct. 1, time TBA – Buy tickets

Game 3: Liberty @ Aces – Friday, Oct. 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET – Buy tickets

Game 4: Liberty @ Aces – Sunday, Oct. 6, time TBA (if necessary) – Buy tickets

Game 5: Aces @ Liberty – Tuesday Oct. 8, time TBA (if necessary) – Buy tickets

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New York Liberty vs Las Vegas Aces ticket prices

As of publication, here are the cheapest tickets available to each game in the Liberty vs. Aces playoff series:

Game 1: $59

Game 2: $57

Game 3: $26

Game 4: $25 (if necessary)

Game 5: $72 (if necessary)

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WNBA Playoff schedule

Sunday, Sept. 29:

  • Aces @ Liberty – Game 1 – 3 p.m. ET
  • Sun @ Lynx – Game 1 – 8:30 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Oct. 1:

  • Aces @ Liberty – Game 2 – time TBA
  • Sun @ Lynx – Game 2 – time TBA

Friday, Oct 4:

  • Lynx @ Sun – Game 3 – 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Liberty @ Aces – Game 3 – 9:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, Oct 6:

  • Liberty @ Aces – Game 4 – time TBA (if necessary)
  • Lynx @ Sun – Game 4 – time TBA (if necessary)

Tuesday, Oct 8:

  • Aces @ Liberty – Game 5 – time TBA (if necessary)
  • Sun @ Lynx – Game 5 – time TBA (if necessary

The WNBA Finals do not yet have a scheduled start date, and will begin following the conclusion of both semifinal series.

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A’ja Wilson cleverly used her MVP trophy as an outfit accessory before Aces playoff game

What a top-tier FLEX.

A’ja Wilson dropped one of the biggest flexes of 2024, and we’re not mad.

On Sunday, Wilson was named WNBA MVP, becoming only one of four players ever to win the award three times and just the second in league history to have their selection be unanimous. That’s pretty wild stuff.

In pretty A’ja Wilson fashion, the award was less about her and more about her team. She secretly wrote her Aces teammates thank you letters for the season, sharing them shortly after earning MVP honors. But, she did save just a little bit of limelight for herself. A’ja walked the Aces tunnel ahead of a WNBA playoff matchup with the Seattle Storm holding a very shiny accessory — her MVP trophy.

WNBA fans totally loved the move and her dazzling red suit. Here’s how they reacted:

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A’ja Wilson tearfully shared secret letters she wrote Aces teammates after winning WNBA MVP

A’ja Wilson finding new ways to thank her teammates will forever be awesome.

A’ja Wilson got emotional again about her teammates, and it’s just the best thing.

If you’ve been keeping track, Wilson has been becoming increasingly vulnerable about how much she loves her teammates lately. Just days ago, she was in tears, thanking her Aces teammates for helping her reach 1,000 points in a season. Now, you need to grab the tissues because there’s more wholesome (and tearful) activity happening.

On Sunday, Las Vegas dropped footage of when A’ja found out she won the 2024 WNBA MVP award. She received a call from commissioner Cathy Engelbert and then shared letters that she had secretly written thanking her teammates and the coaching staff for a great end to the regular season. Wilson had seemingly planned to share the letters later, but as she says, “I guess God wants me to share with you guys in person.” Here’s more from Wilson during the nearly six-minute tribute video (See the clip and full YouTube video below):

“I hope you guys understand how much you mean to me. I hope you guys know that this trophy is nothing without y’all. We’ve been through the ringer, and we’re gonna continue to go through the ringer. But one thing y’all don’t have to ever worry about is A’ja going anywhere. I am forever grateful to be y’all’s teammate.

“Y’all have given me so much strength. Y’all have given me so much love — so much power — and I hope I can do the same for you guys. So, thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. This truly means a lot.”

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Caitlin Clark deservedly earned 3rd-place MVP votes to cap standout rookie season

MVP votes as a rookie.

Now that the WNBA regular season is over, awards have been decided and Caitlin Clark’s phenomenal rookie campaign is being cemented in history. Not only was she named the unanimous AP Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-WNBA player, Clark also received MVP votes.

Though A’ja Wilson won the award unanimously, Clark put together a good enough campaign to finish fourth in voting, and she even received a few votes for third place.

In fact, Clark’s six third-place votes were second most to Breanna Stewart, and she led all players with 26 fourth-place votes. With an additional 22 fifth-place votes, Clark tallied 130 points to finish fourth in voting, just ahead of the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas.

https://twitter.com/ItsMeghanLHall/status/1837834637176963096

Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Stewart finished second and third in voting, respectively.

Clark’s top-five finish isn’t too surprising after her historic first year helped catapult the Indiana Fever from 13 wins last season to 20 wins and a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Clark played all 40 games and led the Fever with 19.2 points per game and a league-best 8.4 assists. Her Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell also received third- and fifth-place MVP votes.

Indiana opens the playoffs Sunday against Thomas and the Sun.

A’ja Wilson is unanimous WNBA MVP, and that’s exactly how it should be

No one else deserved an WNBA MVP vote.

A’ja Wilson just had the kind of season anyone in hoops would dream of, between all the scoring and the rebounds she grabbed.

So it should be no surprise to anyone that the Las Vegas Aces center just became the second player ever to be unanimously voted in as WNBA MVP.

The numbers — 26.9 ppg (led the league), 11.9 rpg (second), 1.8 spg (fifth), 2.6 bpg (first) — were unreal. And on a team that felt like it was underachieving at times after winning at title last year, she helped right the ship.

So, yeah. Any talk of anyone else as MVP was silly, and here we are. Well deserved, A’ja.

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A’ja Wilson’s stellar green pregame outfit had WNBA fans dropping Kim Possible references

The fit. The bangs. The Aces’ caption. 10/10, A’ja Wilson.

A’ja Wilson finally wore a dressed-up look again ahead of a recent matchup, and hoops fans went wild.

On Thursday, the Aces and Dallas Wings concluded their regular season with another game against each other. The Aces rested most of their starting lineup, including A’ja Wilson, in preparation for the WNBA playoffs.

While many fans expected A’ja to come dressed like she has been for nearly a month now — in a plain white t-shirt — Wilson switched it up with a daring green number. Here she is pre-game, walking the Aces’ tunnel with her coordinated fit, a purse, heels and a lovely new haircut with bangs.

https://twitter.com/lvaces/status/1836941745269133581?s=46&t=s5N-JgxcI5k9IbFhklucXA

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAHuT2OPaK2/?igsh=cW5paTF1d3Y2YXk1

Of course, the Aces social media team did a great job supporting A’ja’s tunnel reveal with a subtle but superb nod to Shego from Kim Possible in the caption, and fans picked right up on it.

This is how they reacted while praising A’ja’s look:

https://twitter.com/djvsdachelle/status/1836972599458324655

https://twitter.com/Kayas_Kicks/status/1837004711695671366

https://twitter.com/patrick7111996/status/1836942890313933126

https://twitter.com/Bjacks0428/status/1836945946497757310

https://twitter.com/auntienae95/status/1836943105129345146

https://twitter.com/ErrickaNicholle/status/1836945668813799822

https://twitter.com/JameelahJNBA/status/1836942231749439963

https://twitter.com/CJWritesNThangs/status/1836947092578685049

Fans might have Becky Hammon to thank for A’ja’s fantastic look.

She told Wilson and the starters to wear street clothes to avoid being tempted to suit up or get in the game.

https://twitter.com/wnbauniverse/status/1836952816109174963?s=46&t=s5N-JgxcI5k9IbFhklucXA

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A’ja Wilson was unaware she broke Angel Reese’s WNBA single-season rebounding record

“That’s cool…I don’t hunt rebounds, you know?”

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is officially the queen of the glass.

On Tuesday, A’ja completed another record-breaking feat, officially surpassing Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese for most rebounds in a single season. With Reese unfortunately out for the remainder of the season with a wrist injury, that left the door open for Wilson — the league’s second-best rebounder this year — to snag the record.

Wilson only needed three rebounds to make history, and it didn’t take long for it to happen. Just halfway through the first quarter of a matchup with the Seattle Storm, A’ja casually secured her third rebound of the night.

https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1836226646778486983

https://TWITTER.com/SportsCenter/status/1836228711487521042

Wilson’s new stat is nothing short of amazing. But the Aces center was seemingly unaware that she wrote her name into the record books.

Here’s what she told the media when she found out during a postgame presser while head coach Becky Hammon and teammate Kelsey Plum gave her grief about it:

“That’s cool…I don’t hunt rebounds, you know? So, it’s not something that’s always on my mind. But when it comes to just getting the basketball for my team…I mean, I’m [6-foot-4] and around the basketball. I hope I can grab a couple [of] rebounds for my team.”

“But when it comes to just getting them to get them…I’m not focused on that. I’m focused on putting the ball in the hoop…it’s a blessing. This league is tough…if my name can be in the record books in some sort of way, it’s a blessing…”

https://twitter.com/CallieJLaw/status/1836288613962969475

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A’ja Wilson’s mom called out the Aces star for an NSFW tweet after her 1,000th point

A’ja Wilson’s mom calling her out is peak parent, and we can’t stop laughing.

If anyone asks why A’ja Wilson was called out by her mom, start with her teammate, Sydney Colson.

Syd jokingly tweeted that A’ja now has two basketballs this season that she’ll take home for breaking WNBA records, and A’ja responded with a very NSFW double entendre. However, that whole sequence did not go unnoticed because A’ja’s mom, who is active on social media, saw the tweet and promptly called her out for it.

Of course, A’ja quickly deflected by saying that someone had hacked her account, and we can not stop laughing. Here’s that totally wild exchange. (Warning: very NSFW language.)

https://twitter.com/SydJColson/status/1835494123819909231

https://twitter.com/_ajawilson22/status/1835498668952301610

https://twitter.com/_ajawilson22/status/1835502370954113225

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A’ja Wilson lost it while thanking her Aces teammates in tearful speech after making WNBA history

It’s fine, A’ja Wilson. We’re just over here crying our eyes out, too.

 A’ja Wilson let it all out in the locker room after scoring 1,000 points in a season and creating a new WNBA record.

Wilson’s teammate, Alysha Clark, recently said it best: “The crown is heavy, but she shows up daily and pours into those around her.” On Sunday, after Wilson put an exclamation point on her MVP campaign by making WNBA history, we saw a glimpse of how heavy A’ja’s crown likely feels.

Wilson’s been the backbone of the Las Vegas Aces, who have been struggling to meet the three-peat championship expectations this season. She hasn’t complained or stopped showing up. A’ja simply put on her plain white t-shirt and went to work. However, it hasn’t come without sacrifice. In a tearful and extremely vulnerable locker room speech, she thanked her teammates for helping her get to the moment. Here’s part of the heartfelt words she shared:

“Y’all will never understand how much y’all mean to me because it’s days where I hate being A’ja Wilson. I hate it. But when I come into work, and I see y’all smiling, and I see y’all just happy, that [expletive] makes me who I am. And I am so grateful to have teammates like y’all…”

“Y’all are just amazing people, and I love coming into work with y’all every single day because life it hard…but when I come into work and I see y’all, it changes my whole outlook on life. So, I am so so appreciative for y’all because it’s hard…but I’m nothing without y’all. And I’m so grateful. Thank you so much. I appreciate y’all. Never change.”

https://twitter.com/LVAces/status/1835501953797013990

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_9fsaqvCx1/?igsh=OWR2NThieTZzdjIx

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