Aces' A'ja Wilson staying poised, grateful amidst milestone season

"She's gifted, anointed, the chosen one."

"I don't know. I've kind of run out of adjectives for her."

After nearly every game this season, Aces coach Becky Hammon has been asked how she'd describe A'ja Wilson's meteoric performance this season.

While Hammon will likely need a crack open a thesaurus soon for more adjectives, there's one phrase that she has stuck to since the first game of the season when talking about Wilson.

"She's the best player in the world."

The Aces' star center is having the biggest moment of her career, on and off the court.

Alongside breaking multiple records this season, Wilson has quickly grown into one of the most dominant and influential figures in women's basketball today.

Over 23 games, she's averaged 27.2 points and 11.9 rebounds, leading the WNBA in scoring and .1 rebound shy of tying the league leader, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese.

In her last five games, she's posted at least 24 points and 12 rebounds. Against Seattle on Wednesday, she finished with a career-high 20 rebounds, and a game later, against the Atlanta Dream on Friday, she recorded a monster 33 points and 18 rebounds.

This was all after she became the franchise's leading scorer, surpassing San Antonio Silver Stars legend Sophia Young-Malcolm with 4,301 career points against the Dallas Wings on July 7.

Wilson hasn't let herself get caught up in every new line she writes in the history books. She rarely celebrates these moments, staying focused on her team and looking ahead to the next opponent.

"I'm onto the next thing. I'm appreciative and I'm blessed, but that's not something that I'm really thinking about because I'm just doing my job," Wilson said following the game against Atlanta.

"This is what I'm doing with my life, and I prep so hard for these moments, so I hope I'm playing the way I need to be playing for my teammates. I don't pay it any attention because that's just the way the game goes."

The WNBA will go on hiatus for about a month starting on July 21, but Wilson will not as she was named to Team USA's 5-on-5 Olympic team for the second time in her career.

Wilson said representing the United States is an honor she doesn't take for granted.

Off the court, Wilson's accolades are not going unnoticed. On Thursday, she took home the 2024 ESPY for Best Female Athlete, becoming the first WNBA player to win the award since Breanna Stewart in 2016.

She could not make the awards show as the Aces were playing in Atlanta the next day, but her teammates did not let the moment go uncelebrated.

In a video posted by Sydney Colson on X, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Colson went to celebrate with Wilson in her hotel room after the news was announced.

"You are being too loud," Wilson said before awkwardly responding to Colson's fist bump with a high-five.

That same day, Wilson made history becoming the first WNBA player to be featured on a global cover of NBA 2K25, sharing the space with Boston Celtics forward Jason Tatum and Hall of Famer Vince Carter.

Wilson has a lot going on in a short amount of time, but she is not overwhelmed by any of it. Why? Because she's aware of the impact she's making on those around her.

The positive energy and hard work she's putting out into the world is being returned to her in so many ways.

"My mom had to call me and ask if I was overwhelmed (when being named an NBA 2k25 cover athlete). I told her no because I have a lot of people I pour into, but they pour right back into myself," Wilson said. "I'm never just overwhelmed because I just know how much love is around."

"I'm very blessed to play the game that I love."