A’ja Wilson reflects on hardships of 3-peat amid up and down season (Imagn)

A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces struggled to find their rhythm in the initial weeks of the 2024 WNBA season. After winning their second consecutive title last year, the team faces strong competition, with 2023 runners-up New York Liberty, Connecticut Sun and Minnesota Lynx trying hard to dethrone the defending champions.

During Thursday’s appearance on ESPN’s ‘First Take,’ the center was asked about the key to winning the third straight title for the Aces. Wilson was honest about the challenges her team is facing but made it clear that they are focused on the big goal.

“Keeping the main thing the main thing, understanding that the season’s not gonna look the same. I feel like everything thinks that we have to look the same. Our roster is pretty similar to last year, but it’s completely different,” Wilson said.

“Our league has gotten obviously a lot better and all eyes are on us at this point, so you have to be on your A-game every single possession and that’s hard to maintain. But we have enough in the locker room to keep the main thing the main thing and that’s what we’re going to do.”

The Aces have lost only two of their last 10 games, one to the Liberty and the other to the LA Sparks, both by five points in overtime. They improved from 6-5 on June 13 to 14-7, placing fourth in the WNBA standings and looked like the formidable club they were last season.

A’ja Wilson keeps making WNBA history with first-ever 20-20 game

A’ja Wilson is presently a candidate for MVP and DPOY after she achieved another milestone on Wednesday, earning the first 20-20 game of her career.

Wilson scored 24 points and 20 rebounds against the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, sending fans into a frenzy on social media.

She was also named one of the cover athletes for NBA 2K25 alongside Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

Led by A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, the Aces are heating up at the right time. They still have to play three more games before the Olympic break, and if they manage to win those games, it’ll send a strong message to the rest of the league.

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Edited by Krutik Jain