By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings gave the 5,246 fans at the Mandalay Bay Events Center a full 40-minute show on Wednesday night in the desert. There was no quit in either team as they fought back and forth for the lead. There were 18 lead changes in the contest as Dallas prevailed 97-91 at the final buzzer.

The Aces were led by shooting guard Kayla McBride, who put up a game-high and career-high 38 points in the game. She shot 14-for-22 from the floor and hit 2-of-2 from behind the 3-point line. McBride also went to the free throw line nine times and converted eight of her chances at the charity stripe. She also recorded three assists, three rebounds and two steals in the heartbreaking loss on her home court.

Forward A’ja Wilson was the other big contributor for the Aces. The potential All-Star dropped 22 points on the Wings and made it a double-double game by grabbing 15 rebounds. Wilson dished out eight assists and went a perfect 8-for-8 for the free throw line.

Both McBride and Wilson played 36-plus minutes for Bill Laimbeer’s Aces in the game.

The Dallas Wings were paced by their point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, who was on the floor from the opening tip to the final buzzer. She scored a team-high 29 points while distributing eight assists. Diggins-Smith shot a blistering 52.9-percent from the floor (9-for-17) and hit 2-of-6 from 3-point land. She also played some tenacious defense.

Center Liz Cambage was also a major presence for the Wings on Wednesday night. She recorded a double-double, putting up 17 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Cambage also had three assists and two blocked shots. She also was an intimidating force on defense.

As a team, the Wings had four players score in double-figures. They shot 45.7-percent (32-for-70) overall and hit 10-of-28 from behind the three-point line. The Wings converted 23-of-30 (76.7-percent)  opportunities at the free throw line. The posted 32 team rebounds. Dallas had 20 assists and 11 turnovers meeting that 2-to-1 ratio goal.

The Aces had just the two players in double-figures. As a team, they shot 43.7-percent (31-for-71) from the field. They hit 50-percent of their 3-point attempts, but they attempted only eight shots from long distance. The Aces did have an incredible night at the free throw line as they hit 25-of-27 attempts for a 92.6-percent conversion rate. Las Vegas grabbed 36 rebounds (11 on offense). They recorded 24 assists against 13 turnovers.

“We played hard enough to win,” said coach Bill Laimbeer. “I think we’re a little frustrated by the fact that we can’t get over the hump. But at the same time, it’s our fault because we’re doing the little things wrong.

The loss drops the Aces record to 5-11 (.313) on the season and puts them in 10th place. The victory evens the Wings record at 7-7 (.500) and they are now in seventh place in the league standings.

The Aces will return to action on Friday night when they will host the best team in the WNBA — the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks have an 11-3 record, but are just 4-2 on the road. The Aces need to take advantage of that at home.

The Wings head back to Dallas where they will host the sixth-place Minnesota Lynx (8-6) on Sunday.