Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson and WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark both broke WNBA records over the weekend. Wilson became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in a single season on Sunday.
The crowd at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada gave Wilson a standing ovation after the two-time MVP hit a midrange jumper with just under 2 minutes to play in a game against the Connecticut Sun.
Wilson, 28, broke down in tears as she acknowledged the crowd who held up signs that read “1,000” and “THE GOAT.” Wilson’s teammates embraced her and congratulated her.
Last week, Wilson set the record for the most points scored in a single season after passing the existing record of 939 set by the Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd last year.
“It’s incredible,” Wilson said. “It kind of hit me when I saw literally everyone stand up when I got the basketball. I was like ‘Whoa, whoa … wait what? This is pressure.’ You got to love fans like that. Fans that are really into the game are the best ones.”
A’ja Wilson’s reaction after recording the first 1,000-point season in WNBA history ?? pic.twitter.com/dwJMpAId7H
— ESPN (@espn) September 16, 2024
The Aces went on to beat the Sun by a score of 84-71.
Wilson’s boyfriend, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo tweeted one word in support of Wilson for league MVP.
“U’nanimous,” he wrote in a post on X on Sept. 12.
U’nanimous.
— 13am Adebayo (@Bam1of1) September 12, 2024
Meanwhile, Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark is also breaking WNBA records as she closes in on her first MVP trophy.
The 22-year-old Iowa graduate broke the rookie season record of 744 points set by Hall of Famer Seimone Augustus 18 years ago.
Clark seemingly breaks records in every game she plays. On Sunday, she torched the Dallas Wings for 35 points – her highest points total in a game this season.
Clark’s accomplishments include the WNBA’s single-season assists record, which she broke with 19 assists against the Dallas Wings in July.
Clark also became the first rookie to record a triple-double and she holds the record for the most three-pointers made a by a rookie in WNBA history.
Rewriting the history books has been nothing new to Caitlin Clark, who has passed Seimone Augustus (744) for most points by a rookie in a single WNBA season ?
?Live on X pic.twitter.com/PUbf8QDupA
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 15, 2024
She became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 300 career assists in a season.
Other records that have fallen to Clark include most made three pointers for a rookie (120), most double-doubles by a guard (14), most rebounds by a guard (222) and most assists in All-Star Game history (10).
Caitlin Clark's rookie season in NBA terms pic.twitter.com/aeyuSoXJ81
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) September 15, 2024
Clark also owns the stats that matter the most. She fueled record-breaking ticket sales. The Indiana Fever sold 200,000 more tickets than any other WNBA team. The Fever also smashed viewership records across all TV networks. Clark’s teammates are benefiting as well. They’ve signed lucrative sponsorship deals — pushing them closer to becoming millionaires.
The Most Valuable Player trophy goes to the player who brings the most value to the league. Who else has brought more value to the WNBA this season?
NBA legend George Gervin had this to say about Caitlin Clark: “As good as Aces is, they still couldn’t bring what [Clark is] bringing to the game.”
