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Sheryl Swoopes Bluntly Points Out What’s Changed in A’ja Wilson

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Mariano | Last updated May 7, 2025 1:18 PM ET

The Las Vegas Aces finished off a sweep of their assignments in the WNBA preseason by beating the Phoenix Mercury by a hair, 85-84, on Tuesday.

It was a nip-and-tuck affair throughout the game. But the Aces found an unlikely hero in undrafted rookie Deja Kelly, who scored their last eight points, including the game-winning jumper with 4.2 seconds left.

Kelly came off the bench to score a game-high 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, making a strong case for herself to make the final roster. A'ja Wilson, meanwhile, had all-around numbers despite only playing 22 minutes, tallying 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

On "The Women's Hoops Show" podcast, WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes offered her early observations of Wilson, who is keen on leading Las Vegas back to the throne. The Aces won the WNBA championship in 2022 and 2023.

"A lot of people question like, 'Why didn't A'ja play in Unrivaled?'" said Swoopes. "A'ja was basically like, 'Listen, I need to rest my body.' I'm not mad at her because you can clearly see that she has put in work."

Wilson won her third MVP trophy last season after averaging career-highs of 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.6 blocks. She's arguably the best two-way player in the league, and Swoopes noted the Las Vegas star has made another positive change in her game.

"The one thing I saw from A'ja was her 3-ball," said the four-time champion. "Just shooting it with confidence, like, 'This is what I do.'

"Even last year was more of a 'Do I want to shoot this, do I not?' This, at least in the preseason, it was like, 'Oh yeah, this is what I do.'"

The 28-year-old Wilson missed her lone 3-point attempt against the Mercury. In their previous preseason game against the Dallas Wings, she went 1-of-4 from long distance. The Aces clipped the Wings, 112-78.

The Aces will open their season against the defending champion New York Liberty on May 17.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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