It may be somewhat of a “down year” for the two-time defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, but superstar forward/center A’ja Wilson continues going from strength to strength as Vegas‘ championship defense teeters.

In addition to claiming a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, Wilson‘s 2024 season has her on course to lead the league in blocks for the third consecutive year, and she has taken another leap forward as a scorer.

Her gaudy 27.3 points per game average has her on pace to win the league scoring title for the first time — and it would be the greatest single-season scoring average in the W‘s history.

Wilson’s latest exploits have even captured the attention of the NBA‘s all-time scoring leader, LeBron James — who knows a “bucket-getter” when he sees one.

LeBron praises A’ja for getting buckets

 

During the Aces‘ win over Caitlin Clark‘s Indiana Fever on Wednesday, Wilson broke the WNBA record for points scored in a season, surpassing Seattle Storm guard Jewell Loyd‘s mark of 939 points in 2023. By game’s end, Wilson sat 44 points from 1,000 for the season after ringing up a 27-point, 12-rebound double-double in Indianapolis.

The accomplishment bolsters Wilson’s case for a third MVP award since 2020, even though the Aces are a modest fourth in the WNBA standings. Their position doesn’t matter to LeBron, who congratulated his “sis” Wilson for getting “straight buckets” throughout 2024.

Wilson responded “thank yaaaa” in an interaction between “GOATed” players who have combined for six league championships, six MVP awards, and two gold medals — thrilling fans at home and abroad in the process.

While LeBron may not have many more years to go in his legendary pro career, Wilson — at 28 years old — has an opportunity to rewrite the WNBA record books and eventually become her league’s all-time top scorer too.