A’Ja Wilson’s double-double dominance in 2024 debut

Wilson’s Dominance

Coming off a WNBA championship and being awarded Finals MVP, Wilson is poised to have another successful season. Centers on opposing squads need to prioritize slowing down number 22 for the Las Vegas Aces.

Wilson could not be stopped as the Phoenix Mercury (0-1) trailed by 15 points at the end of the first quarter. Her presence around the rim was eminent without the anchor of Phoenix, Brittney Griner who was out due to injury.

Wilson accounted for 17 of the 29 (58.6%) points scored and forced constant timeouts to be taken by Phoenix. Phoenix coach, Nate Tibbetts implemented a zone defense so her club could perform better defensively.

“They threw a lot of different things at us with zone, so it woke us up a little bit,” Wilson said post-game. “We didn’t have Chelsea (Gray) to help up pick it apart.”

After a 17 point takeover, Wilson allowed for her teammate, Kelsey Plum to take the reign of the offense. In this run, seven points straight came directly from Plum as the Aces (1-0) stretched their lead to 12.

Las Vegas guard, Jackie Young showcased her offensive repertoire with her 9-for-10 (90%) free throw shooting and seven rebounds.

Deciphering the Defense

Young, Wilson, and Plum played large minutes in this game because of the proximity in score and diverse defenses played.

“Once they entered that zone I started calling plays that I hadn’t put in yet,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon stated. “I had to only play the veterans that knew them.”

Wilson shows that she does not need a three-point field goal to assert herself as a prolific scorer. Her 10-for-11 (90.9%) free throw shooting emphasizes her relentless effort to attack the rim.

In this game, Michelob ULTRA Arena broke the WNBA record for attendance with over 10,000 fans so they could watch the performance.

Trevis Dampier Jr is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @trevisjay_