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A’ja Wilson’s push for a record-breaking fourth WNBA MVP award just got stronger. On Wednesday night, she powered the Las Vegas Aces to an 81-75 road win over the Atlanta Dream with 34 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks in 35 minutes. The victory was the Aces’ 12th straight, a dramatic turnaround for a team that once looked like it might not be in the title mix.
The win also shook up the standings. Atlanta slipped out of the No. 2 seed, which now belongs to Las Vegas. To make matters tougher for the Dream, Wilson had the home crowd chanting “MVP” for her in the second half, something that didn’t sit well with Atlanta star Rhyne Howard.
Howard admitted after the game that it was disappointing to hear fans in Atlanta cheer for the opposing star. She said the chants made it feel like an away game for her team and fueled Las Vegas’ big third-quarter run, where they outscored the Dream 21-6 to take control.
Howard also pointed out that Atlanta has former South Carolina Gamecocks of their own in Allisha Gray and Te-Hina PaoPao, and she reminded fans that Gray received MVP chants in a recent game. Her message was clear, if fans want to support Gamecocks, they don’t need to overlook the ones already playing for the Dream.
Atlanta won’t have long to try and win back its home crowd. The Dream host the Dallas Wings on Friday, giving Howard and her teammates a chance to move past the frustration and refocus. Meanwhile, Wilson and the Aces continue to surge, and with her latest dominant outing, the MVP chants may only grow louder across every arena she visits.