A’ja Wilson declared the Las Vegas Aces must play “the perfect basketball at the right time” after they kicked off their WNBA playoff run with a dominant 102-77 win over the Seattle Storm, marking their 17th straight victory.
The Aces are one win away from tying the league record and securing a spot in the semi-finals for the seventh consecutive year, following Sunday's triumph.
The 2001 Los Angeles Sparks hold the record of 18 straight wins, going on to win the title that year while led by Lisa Leslie.
Wilson, who turned in another dazzling personal display, registered 29 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocks in the win.
Wilson matched a notable playoff streak, scoring at least 15 points and grabbing five rebounds in 11 consecutive playoff games, tying Leslie for the second-longest such streak in league history.
"You guys celebrate this more than we do. The streak stopped in the regular season,” Wilson quipped.
“She [coach Becky Hammon] really sets the tone, and it trickles down to me. Then we go into the locker room and we make sure everyone is on the same page.
“This is now the time when we have to be perfect. And we know that for us and the way that people play us, we have to bring our A Game every single time.”
Wilson’s return saw her move into 10th on the WNBA’s all-time playoff scoring list with 878 points, with a chance to pass Hall of Famer Seimone Augustus (901 points) in the second game of the series on Tuesday in Seattle.
“Now it’s about playing the perfect basketball at the right time,” Wilson added.
Hammon is looking to capture her third WNBA crown as the Aces’ head coach, but has not allowed Sunday’s convincing victory to feed complacency.
"It's the first to nine wins, so that's how we want to approach it," Hammon said.
To stay alive, the Storm must end the Aces’ winning streak, which started on August 3. However, Seattle face an uphill battle, having a 10-12 home record this season, the worst among the playoff teams.
"Our fans deserve for us to play well," said Seattle’s Nneka Ogwumike. "We have to figure out how to do it, no matter what. That’s going to be the test on Tuesday."
