Franchise history was made during the Las Vegas Aces' 104-85 win over the Dallas Wings, as Aces center A'ja Wilson became the club's all-time leading scorer on Sunday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
With a couple of made free throws late in the fourth quarter, Wilson surpassed Sophia Young-Malcolm to become the franchise's all-time leader in points scored. And, in the eyes of her head coach Becky Hammon, the greatest player to ever put on the club's uniform.
"She's the greatest player to put on the uniform. Period. As she would say," Hammon said. "Her dominance ... You could probably make an argument for both ends of the floor, just the greatest player to ever put on a Stars or Aces uniform."
"It's not just what she's doing for our franchise, it's how she moves the needle across the world. She's a special person, special player. Enjoy it, because she's a rarity."
Perhaps making the moment even more special was the fact that Wilson accomplished the feat during the franchise's Alumni Weekend celebration, with Young-Malcolm herself watching.
Sophia Young has passed the torch to A’ja Wilson, the new all-time leading scorer in Starzz/Silver Stars/Aces history. 4,301 points, and A’ja did it in front of nearly 50 franchise alumni who were in town for Alumni Weekend. Poetic. @SportingTrib #ALLINLV #WNBA pic.twitter.com/nsPwaLk09P
— Will Despart (@WillDespart) July 7, 2024
After the game, Wilson told reporters she wasn't thinking about the record until Aces teammate Sydney Colson reminded her in the third quarter.
"It means the world, it really does," Wilson said. "It's a special moment. I didn't even know, honestly, until about the third quarter. Sydney actually told me, she was like, 'Come on, this is your chance, you don't want to do it away, you want to do it at home.' And I was like, 'That is right.' "
Wilson now sits 39th on the league's all-time scoring list with 4,301 points and counting. She finished Sunday's contest with a game-high 28 points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
It's been quite the year on and off the court for Wilson. In April, she was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People, and she has continued her dominant play on the court, becoming the first player in league history to score 25 or more points in eight straight games in the regular season in June.
Judging by her career year in '24, Wilson seems poised to add another MVP trophy—and perhaps a third straight championship—to her collection.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Becky Hammon Perfectly Summed Up A'ja Wilson Becoming Aces' All-Time Points Leader.