A’ja Wilson Just Did Something No WNBA Player Has Ever Done. And It Happened in a Loss.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson put up a stat line Tuesday night that had people checking the record books. The numbers: 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. No player in WNBA history had ever hit all five of those marks in a single game. The catch? The Aces lost 100-99 to the Washington Mystics.

Wilson shot 12-of-16 from the floor, 2-of-3 from deep and 12-of-13 at the free-throw line in 36 minutes. It was the kind of performance that usually comes with a win, especially against a team like Washington that’s fighting for playoff position. But the Aces couldn’t close it out on the road.

The loss drops Vegas to 18-8 on the season. They sit third in the league standings, three games back of the first-place Minnesota Lynx and a full game behind the second-place Golden State Valkyries. They’re also just half a game up on the Dallas Wings for the No. 4 seed. Not exactly where a team that’s won three of the last four WNBA titles wants to be heading into the All-Star break.

Wilson didn’t seem fazed afterward. She’s headed to Chicago for her sixth straight All-Star appearance — eighth overall — and she’s clearly the frontrunner for MVP again. Her numbers this season are absurd: 25.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game, with shooting splits of 52.5% from the field, 43.4% from three and 83.4% from the line.

She’s coming off back-to-back MVP awards and a Finals MVP trophy after leading the Aces to their third championship in four years. At this point, it’s hard to argue she’s not having the best individual season of any player in the league.

But the Aces have some things to figure out. They’re not dominating like they did the past couple seasons. Their defense has slipped at times. And losing a game where your star drops 38 on near-perfect shooting is a tough pill to swallow.

The good news for Vegas: the break might help them reset. Wilson gets to head to Chicago and remind everyone why she’s the face of the league. And when the Aces come back, they’ve still got the best player on the floor most nights.

That alone keeps them in the conversation.