A’ja Wilson–led Las Vegas Aces stay hot with two weeks left in the regular season

The GIST: The WNBA standings are like reality TV, but with layups. Aside from the Minnesota Lynx, who’ll likely lock in the No. 1 spot this week, nearly every postseason position is up for grabs — and there are only two weeks left in the regular season. The drama.

🔥 A’ja Wilson powers postseason-bound Las Vegas Aces: The Aces became the second team to punch their postseason ticket after Monday’s 79–74 win over the Chicago Sky, but that wasn’t always in the, ahem, cards. The Aces were tied for eighth at the All-Star break — now, they’re on an 11-game win streak, and Wilson’s a major reason why.

• The three-time MVP has been virtually unstoppable since an impassioned plea to her teammates after a 53-point loss to the Lynx at the beginning of the month, averaging 26.2 points and 12.7 rebounds over the last 11 games.

• But that’s not the only way she’s influencing her squad: Wilson’s also taking on additional scouting duties, helping prepare for opponents from a strategic perspective — and that’s paid dividends, leveling up the Aces’ offensive output in particular. Truly A’one of one.

👀 Six postseason tickets still up for grabs: Three of the remaining spots will almost certainly go to the Atlanta Dream, Phoenix Mercury, and NY Liberty, who are second, fourth, and fifth in the standings respectively, while the Golden State Valkyries (seventh), Seattle Storm (eighth), LA Sparks (ninth), and Washington Mystics (tenth) will all contend for the other three. Prepare for hoopla.