A’ja Wilson has once again elevated her legendary status — and this time, it might be her greatest feat yet.
After a rocky start to the season, the Las Vegas Aces, led by Wilson, staged a stunning turnaround that culminated in a dominant WNBA Championship victory. Once sitting at an uninspiring 14–14 record, the Aces looked far from title contenders. But following a crushing 50-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx, something changed.
Wilson, fueled by determination and fire, “awakened the beast,” leading her team on a spectacular 16-game winning streak that carried them into the playoffs with unstoppable momentum.
When it mattered most, the Aces delivered — sweeping the Phoenix Mercury 4–0 in the Finals to secure back-to-back championships. Wilson was the heart and soul of the run, cementing her name in the record books.
With this victory, A’ja Wilson’s resume now reads like something out of a dream:
- 3× WNBA Champion
- 2× WNBA Finals MVP
- 3× WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
- 4× WNBA MVP
- Fastest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 career points
It’s a resume that has many calling her the GOAT of women’s basketball, or at least one of the all-time greats.
But WNBA legend Lisa Leslie recently weighed in on the debate, offering both praise and perspective on Wilson’s growing legacy.
“Well, here’s my thing. I never really talked about this whole GOAT thing, and I know that it’s tough because there’s different eras,” Leslie said. “Cheryl Miller was amazing and she may be somebody’s GOAT, right? Because she did so much great things in women’s basketball and getting us to the platform where we were before the WNBA ever began.”
Leslie then named several iconic players from past generations.
“You have Cheryl, you have myself, you have Cynthia Cooper, all different positions, amazing players,” Leslie continued. “Lauren Jackson, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird — amazing players. Then you have Maya Moore come in, an amazing player.”
But when it came to Wilson, Leslie admitted she sees something unique — and maybe even a changing era in the league.
“And then you have A’ja. And I feel like A’ja is like taking home everything,” she said. “I feel like A’ja doesn’t have the competition, to be really honest. When you look at centers and forwards across the board in the league, that position is starting to go away at a fast rate.”
Even with Leslie’s nuanced take, there’s no denying that A’ja Wilson’s dominance is rewriting history.
The Aces’ championship run included thrilling performances:
- A narrow 89–86 win in Game 1
- A commanding 91–78 victory in Game 2
- A nail-biting 90–88 Game 3, where Wilson hit the game-winning jumper
- And finally, a 97–86 Game 4 triumph to seal the sweep in emphatic style.
From adversity to absolute dominance, A’ja Wilson has proven — once again — that she isn’t just part of the conversation. She is the conversation.
