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"Punched us in the mouth": A'ja Wilson explains Aces' reality check and bounce-back win after Storm's strong showing in first half
A'ja Wilson led the Las Vegas Aces to a win in Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA playoffs skirmish against the Seattle Storm at the Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday. The forward ended with 21 points, eight rebounds and five blocks as the two-time defending champions fended off a stern Storm's first half to bounce back with a 78-67 win.
Speaking to the media post-game, the three-time WNBA MVP explained the slow start and the rally in the second half after heading into the locker room trailing 52-48 at the half.
"It isn't going to be easy, and this is the playoffs. Things you would do in the regular season, we have to do times 10 in the playoffs. It kinda woke us up when they kinda punched us in the mouth in the first half. In the second half, we had to figure it out and it clicked for us on the defensive end."
[Starts 1:20 onwards]
A'ja Wilson had a rough start to her evening after collecting the WNBA MVP trophy. She went 2-for-8 from the field in the first half and had just four points. She followed it up with a 15-point third quarter to bring the Aces back into the contest.
The Aces' Tiffany Hayes also had a good game. The guard came off the bench to add 20 points, while veteran Chelsea Gray had 16 points. Kelsey Plum had an off night with just two points from 1-of-8 shooting from the field and 0-from-4 from the deep. The defensive efforts in the second half helped the Aces pull away with their slender lead, and later finish a 11-point win over Seattle.
A'ja Wilson coasts to become the second unanimous WNBA MVP in league history
It didn't come as a surprise that A'ja Wilson won her third WNBA MVP award on Sunday. The forward has played at an elite level this season and is only the second player to win the award unanimously, joining former WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper, who achieved the feat during in 1997.
Wilson ended her regular season with all 67 first-place votes from a national media panel and has now won the honors thrice. The Las Vegas Aces star was also honored in 2020 and 2022, and her MVP-caliber run last season became a league-wide talking point. With her third MVP, A'ja Wilson has tied the record for the most MVPs by joining Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.
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