A’ja Wilson’s 42 Can’t Save Aces: Dallas Delivers the Knockout Punch

by: D’Joumbarey A. Moreau

A’ja Wilson is steady making her case for the greatest player of all time.

In a gripping showdown, the Dallas Wings edged out the Las Vegas Aces 93-90 on Tuesday night, despite a Herculean effort from A’ja Wilson, who dropped a season-high 42 points.

“Wilson was nothing short of sensational, but the Aces couldn’t capitalize on her performance,” Wings head coach Latricia Trammell said after the game.

Dallas, now 8-22, has struggled all season but seems to be finding their rhythm post-Olympics. Satou Sabally led the charge with 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Natasha Howard contributed 24 points. The Wings secured their second consecutive win, snapping a seven-game losing streak against Las Vegas.

“Satou’s ability to come through in the clutch was huge for us,” Trammell added, highlighting Sabally’s four-point play that tied the game at 79-all in the fourth quarter.

The Aces, who now stand at 18-12, have seen better days. Despite Wilson’s dominance, Las Vegas continues to falter, with head coach Becky Hammon expressing concern over the team’s defensive lapses.

“We didn’t defend, we fouled too much, and we didn’t rebound,” Hammon said postgame. “That’s a bad combination.”

With just 10 games left in the season, the Aces need to tighten up, especially with Wilson playing at an MVP level. The team’s struggles have been particularly glaring in the second half of the season, with a 2-4 record since the Olympic break. If they want to defend their title, they’ll need to figure out how to close out games—something they’ve failed to do recently.

“Right now, it’s about accountability,” Hammon emphasized. “We have to defend better, especially down the stretch.”

As the Wings continue to fight for respectability, the Aces are left searching for answers in what has been a frustrating stretch of game