'She's special': Aces' A'ja Wilson ties WNBA single-game scoring record with 53-point effort

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson put on a show.

Wilson dropped a career-high 53 points in the Aces' 112-100 win over the Atlanta Dream in College Park, Georgia, on Tuesday, tying the WNBA single-game scoring record set in 2018 by Liz Cambage. Wilson went 16-for-23 from the field and 20-for-21 from the free throw line, adding seven rebounds and four blocks in her historic effort.

Although Wilson's name will go in the history books, the two-time WNBA MVP said it was a team effort.

"I hope they know that this doesn't happen without them," Wilson said. "It may look like 50 on the board for A'ja, but it's for everybody. We buckled down on the defensive end, which allowed us to do that."

Wilson is just the third player in WNBA history to score 50 points or more in a single game, joining Cambage (53, 2018) and Riquna Williams (51, 2013).

Earlier this month, Wilson dropped 40 points and 12 rebounds in the Aces' 113-89 win over the Washington Mystics, which marked her career-high at the time. But she added 13 points to her record just weeks later.

"I don't know what kind of creature she is, but I can tell you she runs like a deer, jumps like a cat and catches like she's Spider-Man. I don't know exactly what that is, but she is special," Aces head coach Becky Hammon said of Wilson. "Her real gift is in her humility and grace... She is a phenomenal superstar. She's about winning and that's it."

Aces teammate Kelsey Plum called Wilson "one of the greatest players of all time," adding with a laugh that Wilson is "just starting, which is crazy." Plum added 20 points and seven assists, while Chelsea Gray finished with a 16-point, 12-assist double-double.

The WNBA-best Aces (24-4) next face the Mystics (15-18) on Saturday.