Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson put on a show in Wednesday’s 95-81 road win over the Dallas Wings that dazzled everyone from the average WNBA fan to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Wilson, a two-time league MVP in 2020 and ’22, is averaging 27.9 points and a league-leading 12.4 rebounds per game in seven appearances this season, also a WNBA first. Wilson and the Aces (5-2) are chasing a third-straight WNBA championship to become the second franchise in history to win the league three seasons in a row.
The Las Vegas Aces are off to a slow start this season – by their standards – going 5-3 through their first eight games.
Last season, the Aces only lost six regular season games the whole year, so they’re certainly behind that pace heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Sparks are massive underdogs in this game, but they did pick up their third win of the season on Friday against Dallas. Dearica Hamby has played at an All-Star level for a Sparks team that is rebuilding around rookie Rickea Jackson and No. 2 overall pick Cameron Brink.
The Aces are down two key players – Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray – in this matchup. Does that give the Sparks a chance at an upset?
Here’s a look at the latest odds and my best bet for this Sunday night matchup:
A’ja Wilson: A’ja Wilson is off to an incredible start this season, averaging 28.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 blocks per game for the Aces. Wilson has scored 28 or more points in five straight games and at least 21 in every game this season. She’ll need to do even more with Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray out on Sunday
Los Angeles Sparks
Dearica Hamby: A former Aces player, Hamby has been dominant for the Sparks in 2024, averaging 20.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. Hamby is coming off a 22-point showing in a win over the Dallas Wings on Friday night. Watching her and Wilson battle in the paint should be fun.
Call me crazy, but I’m going to take the points in this game and bet on Los Angeles.
The Sparks have struggled so far this season, but they are coming off an impressive home win – their first time covering at home this season – and have the size down low to at least make things tough on Wilson at the basket.
Usually, this Aces team would be an auto bet at this number, but they’re missing nearly 40 points per game with Young and Gray out.
Maybe a veteran like the newly acquired Tiffany Hayes can step up, but she shot just 1-for-8 in the loss to Seattle on Friday.
In that game, the Aces scored just 65 points and 47 of them came from Wilson and Kelsey Plum. That was with Young playing 28 minutes as well.
I am just not sold on the Aces getting enough production from their bench and role players to win this game in a massive blowout.
Pick: Sparks +10.5 (-108)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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