TREBLE HOPES
‘All eyes are on us’ WNBA star A’ja Wilson tells Molly Qerim on First Take after Patrick Mahomes comparison
Qerim returning after vacation and break for Wimbledon
WNBA star A'ja Wilson knows the league is just not the same place thanks to superstars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Wilson appeared on First Take on Thursday, speaking with returning host Molly Qerim, who compared Clark's Las Vegas Aces team with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Just like the Chiefs will be going for an historic three-peat of Super Bowl triumphs, the Aces are aiming for a third WNBA title in succession.
"Obviously a lot of eyeballs are on the W this year, especially this year with this rookie class," Qerim said.
'But I want to focus on what the Aces are going for and that is the three-peat.
"You guys along with Patrick Mahomes and those Chiefs. We know how major that would be.
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"What is the biggest key to get your third championship?"
Wilson's answer centred about her team maintaining their focus despite the noise around them.
"Keeping the main thing the main thing and understanding that the season is not going to look the same," she said.
"I feel like everyone feels like we have to look the same.
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"Our roster is pretty similar to last year, but it's completely different.
"Our league has gotten obviously got a lot better. All eyes are on us at this point.
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"So you have to be on your A game every single possession and that's hard, that's hard to maintain.
"We have enough in our locker room to keep the main thing the main thing and that's what we're going to continue to do."
The Aces beat the Connecticut Sun to claim the 2022 title.
And last year, the Aces made it a brilliant double when they saw off New York Liberty 3-1.
Wilson was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Finals.
How the WNBA works
THE 2024 WNBA season features 12 teams with the regular-season running from May 14 to September 9.
Each team plays 40 regular-season games - four against five teams from the same conference and two teams from the other conference, and three games against the remaining four teams.
The top eight teams in the league standings qualify for the playoffs - regardless of what conference they're in.
The playoffs will use a best-of-three format in the first round while the semifinals and WNBA Finals are best of five.
This season also includes a month-long break for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Las Vegas Aces are defending back-to-back WNBA champions.
The WNBA is currently seeing big crowds and record television viewing figures dominate the league.
That is largely down to the exploits of rookies Clark, who plays for Indiana Fire, and Chicaco Sky star Reese.
The hype generated by their performances during March Madness has carried over into this WNBA season.
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Qerim was back on First Take having been away for two weeks.
She has been on summer vacation, with the show not airing at all for the first three days this week due to ESPN's coverage of Wimbledon.