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A’ja Wilson Dominates with 38-Point Playoff Game 1

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 4:18 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

A'ja Wilson Sets Record

A'ja Wilson scored 38 points with 16 rebounds and four blocks in Game 1.
She shot 15-for-19 (75%) and became the first player with 35+ points and 15+ rebounds in a playoff game.
Wilson’s 38 points gave her the most 30-point playoff games in WNBA history, two ahead of Breanna Stewart.
She was named AP WNBA Player of the Year after receiving 15 of 17 first-place votes.

Summary

Liberty Upset Topseed

Liberty, the eighth seed, beat top-seed Minnesota 91-75, achieving the first 8-vs-1 series win.
Injuries sidelined Olivia Miles for the Lynx and left Liberty without Stewart’s knee and Jones’s ankle.
Coach Chris DeMarco said Stewart’s versatility gives the team confidence.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert’s NYC-skyline dress inspired fan Maggie Lofboom to wear a Minneapolis-skyline dress, creating a fashion showdown.

History

Historical Context

The WNBA launched in 1997 with eight franchises, and the Houston Comets won the first four championships (1997-2000), setting early dominance. Minnesota entered as an expansion team in 1999 and later claimed four titles, while the New York Liberty, a 1997 charter member, captured its first championship in 2024 after A'ja Wilson’s 38-point, 16-rebound upset of top-seed Minnesota. The upset underscores the league’s growing parity.

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A'ja Wilson Sets Record

A'ja Wilson scored 38 points with 16 rebounds and four blocks in Game 1.
She shot 15-for-19 (75%) and became the first player with 35+ points and 15+ rebounds in a playoff game.
Wilson’s 38 points gave her the most 30-point playoff games in WNBA history, two ahead of Breanna Stewart.
She was named AP WNBA Player of the Year after receiving 15 of 17 first-place votes.

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