by April Marble
In less than a week, the WNBA will announce their 10 starters for the 2019 All-Star game, and no one is more deserving of a spot on that team than Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson.
Her 2018 Rookie of the Year earning season was nothing short of brilliant, and her All-Star performance was record breaking on its own, but this season Wilson is not only beating her inaugural season but out-performing herself in every game.
In her sophomore season, she already ranks fifth in all time points per game – in only 46 games – at 19.7, and is only 0.1 from the fourth spot on that list currently held by Diana Tursa.
Against the Indiana Fever on June 30, she put a career-high 39 points along with 11 rebounds and five assists, and I’m of the firm belief she can surpass 39 points before the end of the season.
She’s already ahead of her 2018 average of 2.2 assists per game in only 13 games, and although she hasn’t matched her 2018 numbers, it is still early in the season. She will likely exceed her 2018 average minutes played of 30.6 – she currently averages at 29 per game with 20 games left in the season.
Wilson is also shooting 51.7 percent from the field, which is up from her 46.2 percent a season ago.
Simply put, she’s dominating games in ways unseen when compared to other players in the league, and I can’t think of a current WNBA player more exciting to watch – and without a doubt one of the contributing factors for the Aces’ success, who currently rank first in rebounds and assists per game and are second in points per game.
Currently, it is anticipated that she will become one of the two captains for the All-Star game based on the July 2 update from the WNBA with over 15,000 votes – the only person ahead of her being the Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne.
In last years’ All-Star game, Wilson was the only rookie to make the team where she put up 18 points – ranking second out of all All-Star scorers – and was a contender for the All-Star MVP. This year could be the year that Wilson takes that title home.
The 10 All-Star starters, including the two captains, will be revealed on Thursday, July 11. After the announcement of the starters, the WNBA’s head coaches will select the 12 reserves, to be announced on Monday, July 15.
The captains – the two All-Star starters who receive the most fan votes – will draft their respective rosters by selecting first from the remaining eight players in the pool of starters and then from the pool of 12 reserves.
To vote, fans can visit WNBA.com/vote or on Google by searching “WNBA Vote” and “WNBA All-Star Vote” or simply by searching for your favorite player or team. Voting ends on July 9.
Featured Image: WNBA
