Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson is a consistent MVP candidate for a reason. Even though 2025 has been a down year by her elite standards, Wilson is still playing well. On Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks, Wilson reminded the WNBA world of how dominant she can be in the first quarter. She even accomplished a career-first early in the game, according to Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
"A'ja Wilson has 17 points after the first quarter (!), nearly outscoring the Los Angeles (18) singlehandedly," Philippou wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "That is tied for her 3rd-most points in any quarter of her career. She's 8-8 from the field, her most makes without a miss in any quarter in her career."
Even the WNBA was in shock.
"OMG. A’ja Wilson just dropped 17 PTS in the 1Q," the league's account wrote on X. "That’s not a typo."
The Aces' quick start was necessary. Las Vegas has endured an up and down campaign. Defeating the 11-14 Sparks will be important, as the Aces' underperformance has led to a mediocre 13-13 overall record. Las Vegas will probably be a postseason team, but this does not look like the same Aces squad that won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
The good news is that A'ja Wilson is still a superstar. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier is probably on track to win the 2025 WNBA MVP, but Wilson could make things interesting with a strong second half of the season. Going 8-8 from the field en route to 17 points in the first quarter won't hurt her case.
Wilson, 28, entered the game averaging 21.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per outing. The Aces superstar is also shooting 47.9 percent from the field. The fact that those numbers equal a down year by her standards tell just how talented of a player Wilson truly is.
The Aces still have work to do on Tuesday, however. The Sparks have not played well in 2025, but LA is capable of pulling off an upset. Las Vegas' inconsistency suggests anything could end up happening. If WIlson continues to play at an extraordinary level, though, it is difficult to imagine the Sparks coming back.
The Aces hold the lead in the second quarter as of this story's publication. Las Vegas will attempt to close the door without too much trouble.