with their emotions on their sleeve.
“You normally see us on the court,
we’re yelling or screaming or really in-
tense,” Wilson says. “But when you really
get to know us just, like, from stretching
in practice or just hearing us talk, it’s just
like, Y’all are crazy. We’re funny. We’re
down-to-earth people. I think people
don’t really notice that.”
With just her on-court demeanor,
Cambage is able to intimidate some
opponents before the ball is tipped. Last
July, she broke the WNBA’s single-game
scoring record when she dropped 53
points against New York. She led the W in
scoring (23.0) and finished second in
rebounding (9.7) last season. Off the
court, the 6-8 Australian native is
passionate about music and fashion. She
hit the decks at Coachella in April and
has plans to DJ a few parties in Las
Vegas during All-Star Weekend.
“Liz’s game is just so powerful. It’s
very, very hard to stop. Not just only
because of her size but because of her
demeanor, the way she carries herself
on the court,” Wilson says. “She kind of
punches you in the face before you even
play her, before you go up against her.”
After leading South Carolina to a na-
tional championship in 2017, Wilson was
named the consensus 2017-18 National
Player of the Year and was drafted
No. 1 overall by the Aces. In just her first
WNBA season, she averaged 20.7 points
and 8.0 boards—one of the most sta-
tistically dominant rookie seasons ever.
Combining quickness, power and skill,
she’s built for today’s fast-paced game.
A sneaker junkie, Wilson has turned the
heat up a notch this season, becoming
the first player—NBA or WNBA—to wear
the Nike Adapt BB MAG.
“This is her second year, and she plays
like a vet. Even her rookie year, it didn’t
look anything like a rookie year,” Cam-
bage says. “She’s just so dominant, and
she’s just getting started.”
They’re the leaders of a young and
talented Vegas team that features the
last three (!!) No. 1 picks (Kelsey Plum,
Wilson and Jackie Young) and one of the
league’s top bucket-getters in two-time
All-Star Kayla McBride. It’s no wonder
that, after last May’s blockbuster trade,
the majority of WNBA GMs pegged the
Aces as the favorite to win the title.
“We have a lot of weapons that you
can’t just focus on one thing. If you focus
on one thing, then we’re just going to
try to utilize all of our other weapons,”
Wilson says. “We’re young, but at the
JEFF BOTTARI/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGESsame time, we’re smart. And we have soSLAMONLINE.COM 43.
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