The Aces lose! It’s been quite some time since we heard that. The last loss came on August 2, a 111-58 blowout against the Minnesota Lynx. Since then, A’ja Wilson and co had completely forgotten what losing felt like, riding a 17-game winning streak. Heading into Game 2 of the first-round WNBA playoffs against the Seattle Storm, many assumed the series was all but sealed after the Aces’ commanding 102-77 victory in Game 1. But basketball, as always, has a way of keeping us on our toes.

Heading into the game, A’ja Wilson laid out a simple but clear plan when ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt asked her about keeping the streak alive. “Just never getting too high with our highs and never getting too low with our lows. Just being consistent in where we are and bottling up the good things that happened throughout the game, but also learning from the bad things and things that we need to work on. So we’re not going to continue to just look at the streak. In my eyes, the streak was over in the regular season. We’ve got a whole new thing that we need to start cooking here.”

History was within reach for the Aces. They were just one win away from tying the Los Angeles Sparks’ legendary 18-game winning streak, a feat the Sparks achieved twice: first from June 26 to August 11, 2001, and again from August 9, 2002, through June 14, 2003. But with about 30 seconds left and a slim two-point lead, the Storm went into overdrive. Dominique Malonga’s layup-and-one gave Seattle the lead, and Skylar Diggins’ clutch jump shot with 4 seconds remaining on the clock sealed a cruel fate for the Aces, keeping the Storm’s season alive and ending the Aces’ historic run.

The Storm were coming off a 102-77 drubbing and were determined to keep their championship hopes alive. Madam President and Skylar Diggins combined for 50 points to flip the script completely. At one point, they trailed by 14, and heading into the fourth quarter, they were still down by 8. But a final 16-4 to close the game completed a historic comeback, leaving the Aces stunned.

Hammon wasn’t happy with her team’s performance, calling their 3-point defense “trash garbage” after letting the Storm shoot 50% from beyond the arc. Seattle dominated the paint with 34 points, scored four times as many fast-break points as the Aces, and delivered a near-perfect performance to secure the win in front of a roaring 12,500 fans at Climate Pledge Arena.

But for A’ja, the highlight reel didn’t stop there–her record-breaking performances just kept coming.

A’ja Wilson impresses again

Heading into the playoffs, A’ja was at her MVP best–leading the league with 23.4 points and 2.3 blocks per game, while also topping the charts in 20-point and 30-point double-doubles. She ranked first in win shares, on/off rating, and defensive rebounds, and she carried that dominance into the postseason. In Game 1 against the Storm, she powered the Aces to a 102-77 win with 29 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.

While she couldn’t push the Aces over the line tonight, A’ja still made history. Her r 21-point, 13-rebound performance marked her 22nd career playoff double-double, tying her with Hall of Famer Sylvia Fowles for the fourth-most in WNBA history. And if that wasn’t enough, according to Real Sports, she now owns the record for the most 20/10 games in WNBA playoff history.

It’s tough for the Aces to swallow this one. Blowing a 14-point lead in the playoffs is never easy, especially when it could’ve sealed the series. Now, the stage shifts back to Vegas with everything on the line. Game 3 will be a battle, but if you’re the Aces, you’d take a winner-takes-all at home every single time. Who do you think wins the series decider and proceeds to the semifinals? Let us know in the comments down below!