Gordon: A’ja Wilson makes MVP statement in Game 2 win

The Aces’ A’ja Wilson stepped to the free-throw line with 17.7 seconds to play Wednesday night at Michelob Ultra Arena, knowing two free throws would clinch a victory over the Seattle Storm and cap her best performance to date in the WNBA.

So the 2020 MVP calmly dribbled a couple of times.

Make. Make. Both shots and an MVP statement made to avoid an 0-2 deficit in the WNBA semifinals.

Wilson was just that and more for the Aces during their 78-73 victory over the Storm in Game 2, registering a playoff career-high 33 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks without committing a turnover in 38 minutes. She patrolled the lane on both ends of the floor, making shots on one end and deterring them on the other.

That after an eight-point outing Sunday during Game 1.

“I did what I needed to do in Game 1,” Wilson said. “We can’t get Game 1 back, but I didn’t like that feeling that I had. I needed to be more present and more in the moment for my team, and I wasn’t.”

Active and aggressive

Wilson was all that Wednesday. She didn’t at all settle like she did in Game 1. The game — and series — called for aggression. For the type of play that should propel Wilson to her second MVP next week when the winner is announced.

That approach produced a team-high 18 shot attempts and the urgency that helped her earn a game-high 11 trips to the free-throw line.

She pivoted in the mid-post before attempting her first shot, burying a 15-footer to preview the performance she’d put forth for the 9,755 Aces faithful inside Michelob Ultra Arena.

“I just really was locked in for my team,” Wilson said. “I needed to be that anchor that I was before and be consistent (with) what got us here.”

Wilson is among the league’s best mid-range shooters, but she didn’t settle for jumpers in Game 2 the way she did in Game 1. Four-guard lineups around Wilson created more space for her to operate. She sealed on the block early in possessions before spacing out to screen for her teammates on the perimeter and roll to the rim if she didn’t receive the ball in the post — determined to become a target near the basket.

She also attacked the basket with her dribble for finishes and free throws. Attacked the offensive glass for putbacks and second-chance opportunities.

She even attacked in transition, gobbling up a rebound midway through the third quarter and dribbling coast-to-coast for another finish to electrify Michelob Ultra Arena.

She also added a triple late in the third quarter to beat the 24-second clock, showcasing the additions to her skill set while relying on the staples that propelled her to this point.

“Matching up against A’ja, you have to respect everything she’s done and everything she’s capable of,” Storm superstar Breanna Stewart said. “It’s just a battle. It’s what motivates you. It’s what keeps you going. Makes you want to be better.”

A burgeoning rivalry

The Aces needed everything they got from Wilson because Seattle once again got excellence from Stewart. Seattle’s 28-year-old superstar is becoming Wilson’s foil — and vice versa — because of her play against the Aces’ 26-year-old superstar in matchups of this magnitude.

Stewart was majestic again Wednesday, supplying 32 points on 12-for-23 shooting to go with seven rebounds and three blocks.

It’s just that Wilson was a tad bit better.

Wilson acknowledged the importance of the burgeoning rivalry with Stewart and knows it will continue Sunday in Seattle, where the Storm will host Games 3 and 4 before a potential Game 5 in Las Vegas.

“I’m sure (Storm coach) Noelle (Quinn) will beg to differ, but we think we have the MVP and she played that way,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said.

That she did, and the series is tied.

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.