A’ja Wilson broke the WNBA single-season scoring record last week.
On Sunday, the Aces star became the first player to score 1,000 points in a season.
Now, the likely league MVP and her teammates can focus on peaking for the start of the playoffs as the Aces visit the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night.
“This is when you need to start playing your best basketball because this is the rock ‘n roll time,” Wilson said. “This is the best time of the year. It’s really good to get these wins under our belt.”
The two-time defending champions (25-13), who finish the regular season at home against the Dallas Wings on Thursday, have won seven of their last eight games. Wilson reached 1,000 points in an 84-71 home victory against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. She finished with a game-high 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
“There have been wins that we needed to grind out,” Wilson said. “There have been wins that we had to understand the flow of the game, and that’s what playoff basketball is going to be. We’re going to get everybody’s best shot no matter what. It helps to have these types of games so we can prep ourselves for this.”
The fourth-seeded Aces and the fifth-seeded Storm (24-14) are likely headed for a first-round playoff matchup. Las Vegas can clinch home-court advantage with a win Tuesday.
Seattle has won four consecutive games but is looking for more consistency.
Head coach Noelle Quinn said she was “befuddled” by her team as she lamented slow starts in two games last week. The Storm trailed the Los Angeles Sparks by as many as 13 points before winning by eight and trailed the Dallas Wings by 21 before winning by two.
Then, in a rematch with the last-place Sparks on Sunday in Seattle, the Storm started better and built a 16-point lead but had to hold on for a 90-87 victory.
“We know we have everything we need in that locker room,” said guard Jewell Loyd, who set the previous single-season scoring record last year. “I feel like we’re at our best when we’re playing free.”
Nneka Ogwumike led Seattle with 23 points and Skylar-Diggins Smith scored 19, including four free throws in the final minute, in the victory Sunday.
The Storm conclude the regular season on Thursday at the Phoenix Mercury.
–Field Level Media
