A'ja Wilson

 

The Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson could be set to copy Simone Biles by having an iconic move in her sport named after her as the WNBA MVP favorite pulled off another fadeaway jump in an 84-71 win on September 15.

Biles, widely regarded as the best artistic gymnast of all-time, has five unique skills named after her, and now Wilson could follow in those footsteps by repeatedly nailing the signature play where a player leaps away from the basket, leans backwards and still makes the shot stick.

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It helped guide the Aces to victory over the Connecticut Sun and allowed Wilson to improve her 2024 WNBA averages to 27 points per game, 12 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game as a third MVP title beckons for the 28-year-old.

But fans aren’t settling for just celebrating her talent as they call for the fadeaway to be named after her, including Carolyn Peck who coached the Purdue Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA Women’s Division I title.

Simone Biles has a gymnastics move named after her,” Peck said, as per Meghan Hall on X.com., formerly Twitter. “This [her signature fadeaway jumper] has to be named the A’ja Wilson.”

Wilson is a deadly shooter when she gets in range of the hoop but she is rewriting the history books and pushing the WNBA to new standards as she became the first player ever to hit 1,000 points in a single season.

And the Michelob Ultra Arena crowd were well aware of the history that beckoned in front of them by erupting into celebration when she made the all-important shot in the fourth quarter on Sunday.

Who do the Aces play next?

The Las Vegas Aces next take on the Seattle Storm at the Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday, September 17 in a game that is expected to tip-off at 21:00 ET/18:00 PT, although it’s more of a formality for both teams.

The Storm and the Aces will both compete in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, which are scheduled to begin on Sunday, September 22 with only one spot left up for grabs between the Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky.