Aces four game winning streak comes to an end with loss to Sparks 99-78

Published on by psushawn

Photo credit: Shawn McCullough, Sports Radio Service

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces kept the game close through three quarters, but Las Vegas was outscored 35-15 in the fourth quarter by the Los Angeles Sparks in a 99-78 loss at Delano Las Vegas on Sunday.

“Once things got going well for them (Los Angeles), they just kept going and kept pushing and they’re a good team, they’ve been together for a while,” said rookie A’ja Wilson of the fourth quarter run by the Sparks.

“I got a sense that we got worn down mentally,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.  “Los Angeles is a very strong team. They’ve been to the finals three years in a row and are former champions. They execute under pressure. We didn’t.”

Laimbeer also publically had very strong words on the performance of Wilson.

“After the game I made it clear to her (Wilson) and the team that she can’t put her head down like that,” said Laimbeer of Wilson.  “It was clear to everybody on her team and everybody in the gym that she missed a couple of shots, became disengaged from the game and dragged the rest of the team down. For the undisputed leader of our ball club, that cannot happen. I think that was made very clear to her. She understands it. We’re going to find out how she deals with it.”

“I take full blame for tonight,” said Wilson. “I didn’t engage the way I needed to be engaged and it showed.  I can’t afford to do that for my team, so in the stretch it was all about mental toughness and I take full blame for it because I was not good.”

Wilson scored 15 points while shooting 6-for-20 from the field and Kayla McBride added 18.

With the loss, the Aces fell to 10-13 on the season, but have still won four of their last five games.

The Aces trail the Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx by 2.5 games for the 8th spot in the WNBA standings, as the top eight teams in the league make the playoffs.

The Aces will next play the Mercury on Thursday in Phoenix.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • The game saw 19 lead changes and six ties.
  • A’ja Wilson scored in double figures (15) for the 23rd straight game.
  • The Aces have won four of their last 5 games.
  • 4,810 Aces fans were in attendance.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 1 Tamera Young
C – 3 Kelsey Bone
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

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