The WNBA has reached its business end of the season, and all eyes are on the ongoing colossal clash between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces. Now a four-time WNBA MVP, Wilson’s Aces fell to the Indiana Fever in Game 1 and will now need a major comeback to eliminate Indiana in the best-of-five series. And while Wilson returned with a 16-point double-double, it was her absence in the post-game press that raised further eyebrows.
This was the Aces’ first loss since their blowout 53-point defeat against the Minnesota Lynx, ending their 16-game winning streak. Wilson came under a lot of scrutiny after what was a forgettable game by her standards. Not only did the 29-year-old go 6-of-22 from the field, she also needed none other than Draymond Green to rush to her defence.
Green did not hold back, questioning the fans’ choice of words. “A coward is a strong word. Sometimes you just don’t want to talk. But you probably wouldn’t know what that’s like… also not sure whopping fits there….” Green wrote.
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As expected, the Aces fans were not happy with A’ja Wilson ducking the media duties. It prompted some to question her ability to stand criticism. “A’ja Wilson just won MVP and is ducking postgame media after putting up a stinker 💀. But I bet if the Aces win on Tuesday…She will be front and center. You can sit there and have a conference about winning the MVP. But can’t be asked questions about the ass whopping you just took? She is COWARD!!!!” A user wrote on Threads, to which the Warriors superstar had initially replied.
While it’s not the first time an athlete has skipped a media presentation after a disappointing loss, it was the fact that Wilson had just been crowned the league’s MVP for the record-breaking fourth time, which made everyone want to have a word with the Aces superstar. However, Green did have a valid point, suggesting that the fans have to understand that after a result like this, sometimes the players don’t want to talk, which is just human nature.
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So, to call out A’ja Wilson and label her as a “coward” might be crossing a line. More so, given that this was just the first game of the five-game series, and Wilson has consistently been in elite form this season. She has averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while going at over 52% from the field and also won the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Nonetheless, while Wilson and the Aces gear up to bounce back from this defeat in Game 2 of the semifinals, Draymond Green had more about his fellow Klutch Sports client after she etched her name in the history of the women’s game.
Draymond Green lauds A’ja Wilson for her historic WNBA milestone
Golden State Warriors center Draymond Green has previously stated that his teammate and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Stephen Curry is the GOAT. However, it seems like the veteran has changed his mind recently, and the person responsible for making that happen is none other than A’ja Wilson. This came after the Las Vegas Aces superstar won his fourth MVP title, despite being just 29 years old. As expected, Green couldn’t help but praise WNBA superstar.
“I stand corrected… A’ja the 🐐 before 30 and everybody else is now chasing her 🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️,” Green wrote. Well, that’s huge praise from the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year. However, A’ja Wilson’s trophy cabinet speaks for itself. She not only has four MVP titles at the age of 29, but the center has also won several other accolades, such as two WNBA championships, three Defensive Player of the Year’s, and to top it all off, a Finals MVP.
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So, no wonder that Green has shifted the GOAT conversation toward her because no NBA player even comes close to her achievements before turning 30. However, this isn’t the first time Draymond Green has given Wilson her flowers, as he has also previously stated that the Aces star is the “best thing since sliced bread” in the WNBA. This indicates just how highly the NBA big man views Wilson and also explains why he came to her rescue when the fans turned against her on social media.
Regardless, Aces fans will be hoping that this obvious greatness will help them see off the Indiana Fever, who have packed a punch despite missing several crucial players through injury, with Caitlin Clark the headlining absence.