In the midst of a run of sustained dominance, it can be challenging to properly put a player's greatness into perspective. No one wants to be a prisoner of the moment, particularly if doing so could undermine the legacy of those who came before.
There's no reason for such concern when discussing Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson, however, as she's etched her name in stone among the greatest of all time.
Wilson, 27, is working her way through what's on pace to go down as one of the greatest individual seasons in WNBA history. She ranks in the top five in the league in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals per game, sitting comfortably at No. 1 in points and blocks.
Wilson's current scoring average of 26.9 points per contest has her on pace to set the WNBA's all-time recordβin the same season that she's already made history in that regard.
A'JA WILSON BECOMES THE ACES' ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER π
β SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 7, 2024
The 2x WNBA MVP continues to add to her resume π₯ pic.twitter.com/4V2PNwzN66
If Wilson sustains her current level of play, she'd become the first player in Aces history to win the league scoring title. She'd also continue what many have already deemed a guaranteed third regular season MVP award.
If that transpires, then Wilson would join Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie, and Sheryl Swoopes as the only three-time WNBA MVPs in history.
Wilson is also a heavy favorite to secure the Defensive Player of the Year honor for the third consecutive season. If she does so, she'd join Swoopes as the only players in WNBA history to win three MVPs and three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Only Tamika Catchings at five and Sylvia Fowles with four would be able to say they've won the latter award more times than Wilson.
On July 10, Wilson put her full arsenal of greatness on display when she posted 20 points, 20 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals in an 84-79 road win over the Seattle Storm. It was just three days after she put up 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead Las Vegas past the Dallas Wings.
The 20-20 performance gave Wilson yet another spot in the WNBA and Aces history books.
πππ ππππ ππ/ππ ππππππ πͺ@_ajawilson22 becomes the second player in franchise history and fifteenth player in @WNBA history to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in a single game!#ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/fr2jswDLLV
β Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) July 10, 2024
In addition to thriving individually, Wilson has led Las Vegas to back-to-back WNBA championships. She won Finals MVP in 2023, helped her team win the Commisioner's Cup in 2022, and has the Aces as the four-seed in 2024.
Las Vegas is just four games back of the No. 1 New York Liberty, and it stands to reason that their pursuit of a three-peat will encourage them to close some distance.
Regardless of what transpires beyond this point of the 2024 season, what's clear is that the present-day praise needs to reach all-time status. Wilson has been a force of nature on both ends of the floor, dominating the WNBA in a manner that rivals that of anyone who came before her.
A third MVP award would go a long way toward silencing any remaining critics, but at this stage of the game, there should no questions left about Wilson as a future Hall of Famer.