The Las Vegas Aces showered threes on Dallas till they just couldn’t take it anymore. Becky Hammon’s side hit 18 triples, which is the most ever against the Wings. It was also the second-most in a regular-season game in WNBA history. As it has always been for the Aces in the last few seasons, A’ja Wilson was at the center of it all. A 34-point, 8-rebound performance from the 3x WNBA MVP meant they cruised to their seventh win on the trot. 

This sudden surge seemed unlikely just a few weeks ago. The Aces were standing on just one leg of Wilson, and the rest of the supporting cast looked underwhelming at best. The defense was leaky, and they were looking on their way down from the highs of championships, especially after the 54-81 drubbing to Indiana in early July. According to these ESPN analysts, that exact game was the turning point for this Wilson-led Aces side. 

Taylor Tannebaum said on WNBA Hoop Streams By ESPN, “I just think back to when they got dogged by the Fever in Indiana before the All-Star break and I think about coach Becky Hammond’s words, and she was like ‘That was one of the worst games I’ve ever seen play…..we shouldn’t even be putting this product on the floor.’”

Hammon was pretty furious after they lost in that fashion to a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana. “That’s a complete lack of professionalism to come in here with that effort,” Hammon had said. “Complete lack of focus. They played harder yesterday in practice by a lot — wasn’t even close. I don’t know how you step onto the floor with 20,000 people in the stands and perform like that. It is the worst offensive night I’ve ever seen, as far as I’ve been here in the last four years.” 

Hammon is unfiltered, but to publicly assassinate your team like that meant urgent action was required. It was arguably the lowest the Aces have been in the last few years as they had a record below 0.500 for the first time since 2018, when they finished with a 0.413 record. They were looking to repeat that kind of a season, and in that case, Wilson would be fast out the door in next year’s free agency. 

However, Becky Hammon’s call was heard across the team, and they improved step by step. This Wilson-led side went 6-4 in the next 10 but were faced with a roadblock again as they were met with a harsh reminder that they were still well away from being the best in the league. Wilson and Co. were put back in their place by Napheesa Collier’s Minnesota. They beat up the Aces 111-58, which was the largest home loss in WNBA history. 

Maria Marino pointed out that Minnesota game, saying, “What about the game, they got blown out by Minnesota, the game that Napheesa got hurt, and it seems like that was a little bit of a wake-up call, and you know, when you get slapped in the face early often. It helps you later on.”

Since then, they have been unstoppable. A’ja Wilson has continued to do what she has been doing, averaging 26.1 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. Over this winning streak, Wilson’s MVP stock has experienced a spike and not only among casual fans. They are putting their money where their mouth is, as her MVP odds have tripled on PolymarketSport during their win streak.

Currently, she has a 10% chance of winning her fourth MVP award, still behind Collier and Alyssa Thomas. That boost to Wilson is also due to the team’s success, which was holding her back previously. Her performances were the same, but the thing they lacked was the green Ws. If they continue this streak, those odds will likely increase further. Napheesa Collier’s absence has turbocharged Wilson’s MVP push. Every missed game clears the path for Wilson to seize the spotlight.

A’ja Wilson, Hammon Credit Trust, and Teamwork for Aces’ Success

Dallas coach Chris Koclanes had his eye on A’ja Wilson. That was the first thing on their list for this matchup. He knew what was coming. “All five together are post players that are on her,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “You just have to give her MVP attention,” Bueckers explained before the game. All that planning, and Wilson still put up a performance that put them to the ground. However, even after that ‘MVP worthy’ performance, she was quick to credit the teamwork after the game. 

“All of us, we understand when it’s stagnant that we have to try to get something easy,” Wilson said of what worked. “We don’t need to try to get the home run plays.”

The Aces were more Wilson-dependent early in the season. It was her making all the plays, and the majority of the time, she had to make a difficult shot.  Now they are aiming to use the attention Wilson gets to create way easier opportunities. In the last 11 games, they are averaging 21.1 assists per game, up from 18.4 assists across the season. Chelsea Grey is finding her scoring boots as she is averaging 17.1 points and 5.3 assists in this winning streak. 

Coach Hammon further added the reason behind this increased chemistry. “That comes from trust, from building chemistry and with each other,” Hammon said. “And that’s how the game is supposed to be played. This game is designed to be shared.”

Everyone knew the Aces had the tools to play this kind of basketball. Many earlier reports point to changes inside the organization as one of the reasons why they were struggling earlier in the season. Hammon regularly saw her squad caught up in executing plays instead of letting loose and playing instinctively. Now the gears are fitting together, and they seem to be a well-oiled machine where every player knows what their role is.