A'ja Wilson has an efficient 45-point masterpiece, her WNBA-record 5th game with 40 or more

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — A'ja Wilson had a historic night, putting on an offensive display while scoring from nearly everywhere on the court.

The four-time WNBA MVP scored 45 points to help the Las Vegas Aces beat the Connecticut Sun 101-94 on Friday night. Wilson was an incredibly efficient 15 for 18 from the field, hitting both of her 3-point attempts. She also made all 13 of her free throws.

“Finding shots in our system and letting the flow of the game take over,” Wilson said. “That's big to me. I want to be efficient. It's beautiful to rack up all these points, but to be efficient, that's what is key.”

It was the fifth time she has scored over 40 points — a WNBA record, breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi. Her career high is 53 on Aug. 22, 2023 against Atlanta.

Wilson's boyfriend, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, was at the game on Friday, just as she attended his 83-point effort in March.

“She was unbelievable,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “Really happy with the free throws. The 3s, she just continued to sprinkle those in. She got a lot of early touches.”

When Connecticut cut a 13-point deficit to 72-70 late in the third quarter, Wilson hit a 3-pointer out of a timeout and then followed it up with a three-point play, igniting a 16-4 run that put the game away.

“It wasn’t really designed to be like that,” Wilson said of her 3. “I was trying to take what the defense was giving me. (Raegan) Beers was playing a little bit off, so why not?”

Wilson has had a lot of big moments at Mohegan Sun Arena. This was potentially her last game there, with the Sun set to move to Houston next season.

“This building has been special to me for a while,” Wilson said. “Got my first WNBA point in this building and championship in this building. It's fun coming here. ... Going to miss this place.”

Chelsea Gray has had a front-row seat to Wilson's amazing play over the last five seasons.

“You can't get bored with watching greatness,” the Aces' star point guard said. “I'm around it all the time, but I'm surprised every day. I never want to get to the spot where I'm comfortable, like, yeah, that's unheard of.”

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates a play with teammates during the first half of a WNBA preseason basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Austin, Texas, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The eastern U.S. sweated through a second day of early-season heat Wednesday, with some schoolchildren being sent home while others stayed in sweltering classrooms.

The Philadelphia school district shifted to remote learning for students at 57 schools, saying that while it has made progress, a number of schools continue to have inadequate air conditioning.

The National Weather Service said another day of record heat was expected from the mid-Atlantic to New England before a cold front brings rain later in the week. Daily high temperature records were broken Tuesday in Portland, Maine, at 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) and Boston, at 96 degrees (35.5 degrees Celsius).

In Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, officials at one high school set up fans, passed around bottled water and allowed students to wear shorts and T-shirts instead of their usual uniforms.

“The heat outside feels like it’s manageable because of the wind but inside it feels just tight and burdening because we also have to go through quizzes, exams, there is no excuse,” student Ariolainy Baez told CBS News.

A heat advisory was in effect for portions of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island through Wednesday evening.

In New York City, city officials opened cooling centers to help residents find relief.

“Just as New Yorkers look out for one another through the coldest days of winter, we must do the same through the hottest days of the year,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

Associated Press writer Holly Ramer contributed from Concord, New Hampshire.

A person uses a fan as they wait in line to purchase Broadway tickets in Times Square, during a heat advisory in New York, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)

A person uses an umbrella to shield themselves from the sun during a heat advisory in Central Park, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)