LAS VEGAS — A’ja Wilson scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds — her WNBA-record 17th game this season with 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds — to help the Las Vegas Aces beat the Los Angeles Sparks 87-71 on Sunday.
Wilson broke her own single-season record for 20-10 games of 16, set in 2023. The 6-foot-4 centre has scored at least 20 points and grabbed 10-plus rebounds in eight consecutive games, also a WNBA record. The two-time WNBA MVP is averaging 29.3 points, 14.4 rebounds and 3.6 blocks while shooting 53 per cent (85 of 161) from the field and 93.3 per cent (56 of 60) from the free-throw line during that span.
Kelsey Plum hit four three-pointers and finished with 18 points, Tiffany Hayes scored 11 and Jackie Young 10 for Las Vegas (17-9).
Rickea Jackson led Los Angeles (6-21) with 15 points. Dearica Hamby added 13 points, 11 rebounds and four steals and Canadian Kia Nurse scored 12 points — 10 in the first half.
Nurse, a Hamilton native, hit a three-pointer for the Sparks that tied the score midway through the second quarter but Wilson hit a short jumper and Plum scored in the lane before Hayes made a three-pointer to make it 38-31 less than two minutes later and Las Vegas led the rest of the way.
Wilson hit a short step-back jumper that gave the Aces their biggest lead of the game at 51-39 with 7:20 left in the third quarter. Jackson and Hamby each scored four points in a 10-1 run that made it a three-point game midway through the period but Los Angeles got no closer.
Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather and Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue watched courtside.