Dawn Staley made sure to include a disclaimer because even she knew her latest tweet about A’ja Wilson might seem unfathomable to some. If the South Carolina women’s basketball coach is right, her former player could be on pace to accomplish a feat never seen in the WNBA before.

“I know yall will say I’m crazy and biased or both,” Staley wrote Tuesday night after Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces suffered a 93-85 loss to the Chicago Sky, “maybe but @_ajawilson22 is your @WNBA Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved…..”

It’s not necessarily as far fetched as it sounds.

Wilson is the heavy favorite to be named MVP for the third time in five years, according to FanDuel, and the two-time defending WNBA defensive player of the year has done nothing this season to think she can’t win it alongside most valuable player.

Wilson finished with 28 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and three steals in Tuesday’s setback, which was just the second loss Las Vegas has been dealt over the past 12 games. Though the Aces already have more losses this season than last year, when they won the WNBA championship, Wilson currently leads the league in scoring (27.2 points per game), rebounding (12 per game) and blocks (2.9 per game).

FREEMAN: Cover star. All-Star. Superstar. A'ja Wilson needs to be an even bigger household name.

At the moment, heading into the WNBA's All-Star and Olympics break, the former Gamecocks great is on pace to set new career highs in points, rebounds, blocks, steals and 3-point field goal percentage.

It lends credence to Staley’s argument that Wilson, who will play for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics later this month, could also be the most improved player in the WNBA, even though that award doesn’t typically go to one of the league’s established stars.

Wilson, in fact, was named both MVP and defensive player of the year in 2022. It was the sixth time that had happened since the WNBA’s debut in 1997, and the first time in 15 years. If Wilson were to be named MVP this season, she would join Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson as the only players in WNBA history to win the award three times.

Nobody, however, has won MVP, defensive player of the year and most improved player in the same season. Indeed, no former most improved player winner has ever been an MVP or a defensive player of the year in any other season – let alone win all three in the same season.

But it’s not crazy for Staley – or anyone, really – to think Wilson has a legitimate case to make that she’s worthy of a trifecta that, until now, seemed almost illogical.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dawn Staley: A'ja Wilson has a case to be more than just WNBA MVP