Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates after scoring a basket against Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles, left, to achieve her 5,000th career point in the WNBA during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)
June 25, 2025 - 9:34 PM
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A’ja Wilson scored 22 points and became the fastest player in WNBA history to 5,000 points as the Las Vegas Aces beat the Connecticut Sun 85-59 on Wednesday night.
Wilson made a driving left-hand layup with about four minutes left in the first quarter to top the 5,000-point plateau in just 238 games. She has 5,015 career points. Breanna Stewart needed 242 games to score 5,000.
Connecticut (2-13) has lost seven in a row overall and six straight to the Aces, who beat the Sun 87-62 on May 20.
Jackie Young scored 20 points for the Aces (7-7) and Chelsea Gray added 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Jewell Loyd scored 13 points. Young, Gray and Loyd each hit three of Las Vegas’ 11 3-pointers.
LIBERTY 81, VALKYRIES 78
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu converted seven free throws in the final two minutes and made a key steal with 26 seconds left, Breanna Stewart had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and New York held off Golden State.
Ionescu struggled to find her shooting rhythm returning from a neck injury and wound up 1 of 11 for 11 points in her Bay Area homecoming not far from where she grew up in the East Bay suburb of Walnut Creek. She regularly attended Warriors games.
Ionescu was 0 for 5 at halftime missing all four of her 3s. She finally connected on her first field goal, a 3-pointer, with 9 minutes left
Kate Martin hit a tying 3-pointer with 4:12 remaining and put the Valkyries ahead on a 3 at the 1:59 mark before Ionescu’s free throws. Martin’s 3 with 12 seconds to go made it a one-point game but Martin and Kayla Thornton missed two late 3s.
Stewart scored 21 of her points by halftime and Kennedy Burke added 20 points off the bench.
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