Superstitions have always been a big part of an athlete’s life. Take Michael Jordan, for instance. He never stepped on the court without wearing a pair of University of North Carolina Tar Heels shorts under his Chicago Bulls uniform. LeBron James fills his palms with chalk and throws it into the air, creating that signature white cloud before every game. And who could forget Sabrina Ionescu’s belief! Meticulously choosing the same seat on the bus or running the same layup lines before tip-off. For many, these rituals aren’t just habits but part of their game-day mindset, a way to control the uncontrollable. But what about A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces? Do they have their own superstitions guiding them through the playoffs?

When We Need to Talk podcast host Alicia Jay asked A’ja Wilson whether the Las Vegas Aces had any superstitions fueling their playoff push, the forward brushed aside the idea of quirky rituals. Instead, Wilson pointed to something more practical, yet just as sacred to the team. Probably that’s the only superstition?

“I don’t honestly think we have any. I think we’ve been doing what we’ve been doing this whole time. That’s really been the same. I think maybe for us it’s just our game plan as a players-only game plan. Once we started taking over the scout, we always have to make sure we do it at this time, and we’re knocking it out. And we make sure that everyone’s contributing to our accountability chart. So yeah, I think that’s probably one superstition that we’re like, ‘All right, we have to do this.‘ And then we let the coaches come in.” But this ‘we have to do this‘ mindset didn’t come overnight.

Everything changed for the Aces after that brutal August 2 loss. A  53-point drubbing at the hands of the Minnesota Lynx. The team sat at 14-14, a record far below what you’d expect from a Becky Hammon-coached squad. A’ja Wilson wasn’t about to let things slide. She sent a clear, no-nonsense message to her teammates: “I feel like one thing I did do is send a message to them and just say if you weren’t embarrassed from yesterday, then don’t come into this gym. You’re not needed or wanted here. We need the mindset to shift because that was embarrassing”. And since that wake-up call, the Aces haven’t looked back.

They racked up 16 straight wins heading into the playoffs, and their dominance didn’t stop there. In Game 1 of their first-round series against the Seattle Storm, A’ja Wilson led the Aces to a comfortable 102-77 victory, putting up 29 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. What made it even more historic was that this marked the first time in WNBA history that a team had won three consecutive games by 25 points or more (according to ESPN).

Becky Hammon had been calling out the Aces for not sticking to the basics for most of the season. But in their resurgence, A’ja Wilson has been leading from the front. She’s dominating with 23.4 points and 2.3 blocks per game while also topping the league in 20-point and 30-point double-doubles. On top of that, she ranks first in win shares, on/off rating, and defensive rebounds.

With Game 2 against the Storm on the horizon, the Aces now have their eyes on a 22-year-old record. They could match the Los Angeles Sparks’ historic 18-game winning streak. They did it first from June 26 to August 11, 2001, and then again from August 9, 2002, through June 14, 2003.

And for A’ja, on a personal level, this has been a season to remember for the reigning MVP….

One Ace continues to create history as Las Vegas charges toward glory

For the Aces to bounce back from losing 7 of their first 12 games and still be one of the favorites to win it all comes down to one player— A’ja Wilson. The reigning MVP has stamped her authority on the league once again, and right now, she looks like the clear favorite to win the award back-to-back.

• She led the league with the most 30-point games this season
• She became the first player in WNBA history to record multiple seasons averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game
• She passed Sylvia Fowles for 8th on the all-time WNBA Playoffs rebounds list with 427 and counting
• She also climbed the scoring ladder, passing Angel McCoughtry to take 10th place on the all-time WNBA Playoffs points list
• Game 1 marked her 22nd career playoff outing with at least 20 points and 5 rebounds, pushing her past Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie, and Maya Moore for the 4th-most in WNBA history
• She also climbed the all-time WNBA Playoffs leaderboard for free throws made, moving into a tie for 8th

The Aces and A’ja Wilson have a real shot at regaining their lost glory this year. They’re playing like a championship team and could even etch their names in WNBA history with 18 straight wins. But are they strong enough to take home the title? The Lynx, Dream, and Liberty (if Stewie gets healthy) will all have something to say about it. Who’s your pick to win it all? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!