With a 10-4 record, the Las Vegas Aces have obviously spent much of the season winning. However, star forward A’ja Wilson believes those victories may have hidden a deeper problem that the team has. And after Monday’s humiliating loss to the Dallas Wings, the three-time WNBA champion didn’t sugarcoat what needs to change.

After entering Monday’s matchup riding a six-game winning streak, the Aces were expected to continue their momentum against Dallas. Instead, they endured a 96-66 defeat that tied their lowest offensive output of the season. Following the game, Wilson admitted that recent wins may have created a “false reality” around the team’s performances, stressing how defensive lapses could lead to more losses if left unaddressed.

“If our defense doesn’t change, if we don’t get better on the defensive end,” Wilson said in the postgame presser. “The L’s are just going to start racking up. Point blank, period. And sometimes I hate that wins kind of give us a false reality of that we’re doing things well when we aren’t.”

Wilson was specifically answering a question about the message she had for the team as they look to bounce back and return to winning ways in their next game. For Wilson, the issue with this Aces team has always been on the defensive end. It just happened to be fully exposed and exploited during Monday’s loss to the Wings.

“And so today it clearly showed us. So when it comes to turning the page, you got to do it. But you really have to do it on the defensive end,” she said.

Looking at the performances the Aces have put together so far this season, it does appear that they have largely depended on their high-powered offense. In fact, heading into Monday’s game, Las Vegas had scored 100 or more points in three consecutive contests. However, there have also been signs that their championship-level defense from previous seasons has taken a step back with the Aces ranking closer to the middle of the pack in defensive rating. And in this 96-66 blowout loss, they simply did not perform well on the other end of the floor.

Vegas allowed Dallas to shoot 36% from beyond the arc and consistently failed to close out on Arike Ogunbowale. As a result, Ogunbowale punished them with five made 3-pointers. They also lost thoroughly on the glass, losing the rebound battle 41-31.

But regardless, all that matters now is getting back into the win column in their next game against the Phoenix Mercury. As Wilson already made clear, the focus has to shift immediately towards that challenge. “We got to lock into Phoenix,” Wilson said, affirming her stance.

A’ja Wilson Shares Her Mindset for Moving Forward After Aces’ Six-Game Win Streak Ends

Of course, the Las Vegas Aces‘ 96-66 defeat to the Dallas Wings on Monday night was a difficult result to swallow. The loss snapped the team’s six-game winning streak and marked one of their worst performances of the season. But for A’ja Wilson, dwelling on a game for too long simply isn’t part of her approach. Speaking during the postgame press conference, the Aces star revealed how she handles both wins and losses before turning her focus to the next challenge.

“I mean, for myself, I give myself 24 hours, win or loss, to really digest and figure out what I need to do better, how can I show up better for my team. But then after that, you got to lock in,” she said.

Wilson finished the game with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal. While that was still a respectable performance by most standards, it was far from the dominant level she has consistently produced this season. In fact, Wilson currently leads the league with averages of 26.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

And so, even as the Aces look to bounce back in their next game against the Phoenix Mercury, Wilson herself will also focus on responding with a stronger performance. As she explained, the process starts with reflecting on what went wrong. But that’s only for a limited time before fully locking in on the next opportunity.