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A'ja Wilson Gets Emotional Crediting Teammates After Breaking WNBA Scoring Record

Ryan Phillips

Wilson set the WNBA single-season scoring record on Wednesday night.
Wilson set the WNBA single-season scoring record on Wednesday night. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
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A'ja Wilson knows she wouldn't be where she is without her teammates.

On Wednesday night, Wilson broke the WNBA's single-season scoring record, as her Las Vegas Aces beat Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, 86-75. Wilson entered the game needing 11 points to surpass Jewell Lloyd's record of 939 points in a season, which was set in 2023. She soared past that mark, dropping in 27 points while grabbing 12 records and posting two assists, two steals and three blocks.

On Thursday, Wilson broke down when discussing her teammates and how she wouldn't have broken the record without them.

The 28-year-old said, "I sound cliché when I say this but I don't get any of that without every single teammate along the way. And I'm so grateful to be able to play with ... just selfless women. They give it their all every single day and they're their pure selves and that's what I love the most."

As she held back tears, Wilson continued, "I'm trying not to get emotional but, like, my teammates, they're the heartbeat. They get me going. I don't get zero points obviously without them passing me the basketball. But just the way they show up to work every single day just ready to play, ready to lock in ... that's what you see on the court. So, the points are great, they will always be there, I'm never going to stop shooting, but the group that we have in this locker room is something that I'm genuinely so happy to be around. So I'm blessed ... and I credit it all to them."

Wilson and the Aces are back-to-back WNBA champions and are seeking a three-peat this season. They currently own the league's fourth-best record at 23-13. Meanwhile, Wilson is well on her way to her third WNBA MVP award. She's currently leading the league in scoring (27.3) and blocks (2.7) per game and is second in rebounds (11.9) and steals (1.9) per game.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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