“Everyone has to do their job. From the players, to the refs, to the coaches. We all have to do our job. We’ve been going through this all season,” said W’s 2024 MVP last season. A’ja Wilson’s never been one to stay quiet or shy away from challenges. So, when she saw some loose ends at some places, she seemed ready to take matters into her own hands, while letting rivals and referees know exactly how to get the job done. And, of course, she did it all in style.

A’ja Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to post a 30-point, 20-rebound game. She finished with 32 points and a career-high-tying 20 boards in a 94-86 win at Michelob Ultra Arena. She shot 13-of-25 from the field. After such an achievement in a single night, you or I would probably still be bragging. However, her reaction differed largely from that. “I didn’t even know, as many greats as we have in this league, it’s kind of a shocker that it’s just now happening. It’s a blessing,” she said.

A blessing it was, but it did not come without strategy. Wilson then didn’t hold back during the postgame presser, sending a message bold and clear. “Yeah, the biggest thing was be physical back. That’s pretty much the thing of the way this W’s going right now. It’s just like, who’s going to be the bully? And the bully sometimes wins.” That’s a champion’s analysis, note that. After all, it came just 48 hours after she dropped 29 points. What made it special was that she did it on her 29th birthday in a 90-86 win over the Seattle Storm.

She added, “For us, we had to make sure that we weren’t going to just get punched all night.” The swagger and concern are justified, too, considering how the season has turned out for the 2024 ROTY, Caitlin Clark. She’s been rattled by injuries all season long due to the harsh physicality of the league. And while A’ja Wilson might not quite believe what she has unknowingly been accomplishing, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon knows her MVP well. “It’s just A’ja being A’ja,” Hammon said, shaking her head in awe. “She probably could have had one of these in the past. I never let her really go to the offensive glass this year, where we’ve been emphasizing that more.”

Well, “restricting her” has still left Wilson sitting second in the Offensive leaders’ list this season at 21.8 points per game. She is trailing only Napheesa Collier’s 23.5. And if that’s with the brakes on, who knows what’s coming next? One thing’s for sure: the Connecticut Sun aren’t in a hurry to find out. Luckily for them, they won’t have to, because all four of their regular-season meetings with the Aces are done… And all four ended in Las Vegas victories, so how did it go down this time?

How A’ja Wilson and Co. “Got It Done”

This one was the latest chapter in a one-sided season series. Las Vegas used a very dominant middle stretch to turn an early deficit into another win. Connecticut actually came out swinging; they erased an early Aces lead with a 15-3 run to close the first quarter behind Marina Mabrey’s nine straight points. By midway through the second, the Sun had built a 12-point cushion. That was also their largest of the night.

Then A’ja Wilson happened. A smooth jumper at the 5:27 mark lit the fuse on a 12-0 Las Vegas run to close the half, capped by threes from Kierstan Bell and Jewell Loyd. By halftime, Wilson already had 13 points and nine rebounds, and her double-double was inevitable. The third quarter was the real turning point then. While holding a slim 56-54 lead, the Aces ripped off a 14-5 surge.

Dana Evans and Jackie Young are combining for 10 in that span, to stretch it to 70-59. The Sun were in the bonus with over five minutes left, but Las Vegas punished them at the line. They went 8-of-11 on free throws in the quarter. From there, A’ja Wilson closed the door completely. She scored 12 of her 32 in the fourth, while Young added timely buckets to keep the Sun at arm’s length. The Aces even out-rebounded Connecticut 40-23 (including an 11-3 edge on the offensive glass) and turned 12 Sun turnovers into 20 points.

Jackie Young finished with 21 points and six assists, Jewell Loyd had 12, and Evans’ spark off the bench yielded 10. Mabrey led Connecticut with 22, while rookies Saniya Rivers (17) and Leïla Lacan (13) showed fight. It was the Aces’ fourth straight win, and their 41st consecutive home sellout. And another reminder that when A’ja Wilson decides to “get the job done,” it’s usually bad news for whoever’s on the other bench.