A'ja Wilson Stats Tonight: WNBA MVP favorite steps up for Las Vegas Aces in showdown vs Sun

A'ja Wilson's stats in the Las Vegas Aces vs Connecticut Sun game on Friday night weren't the best in the first half. She tried to take down one of the top three teams in the WNBA this season. The Aces can still aspire to finish the season as a top-three squad and a win against the Sun was crucial to keep their hopes alive.

The first quarter started with Wilson grabbing a couple of defensive rebounds after scoring her first two points. She missed a couple of shots before getting the second bucket of the game, finishing the first period with four points.

Wilson missed all three field goal attempts and one of two free-throw attempts in the second quarter. She grabbed another rebound but finished the first half with a plus-minus of -12.

The third quarter started much better for Wilson, adding four points in the first minutes. Becky Hammon made the adjustments and the Aces were more aggressive, with Wilson taking over, getting consecutive buckets and stealing the basketball to cut the lead to one point.

Wilson had a quiet fourth quarter until crunch time, hitting a mid-range shot to give the Aces a 68-67 lead before Chelsea Gray extended the lead with a 3-pointer. Wilson grabbed a rebound off Marina Mabrey's missed shot and landed awkwardly, scaring her teammates.

She got up, made another free throw and confirmed the Aces 72-67 win. She finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, only behind Kelsey Plum (27) to secure a hard-fought win.

A'ja Wilson stats vs. Connecticut Sun:

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
A'ja Wilson	20	8	0	2	2	2

Nancy Lieberman compared A'ja Wilson to five-time NBA champion

A'ja Wilson is playing at a high level this season, and the Aces have the fourth-best record in the league as they start to look like the team that won the championship in the past two seasons. Nancy Lieberman picked Wilson over Breanna Stewart and Caitlin Clark to build a franchise.

"I'm going to build around her," Liberman said. "She's going to make me a better defensive coach, she's not going to do anything fancy. ... She's like Tim Duncan. I like people who have won championships."

A'ja Wilson's stats have made her the leading candidate to win the MVP award at the end of the regular season. Despite Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark's remarkable seasons, the two-time WNBA champion has seemingly bagged this award.