Photo credit: Shawn McCullough, Sports Radio Service

By Shawn McCullough

Playoffs were not even a thought when the Las Vegas Aces started the season 1-7 as one of the youngest teams in the WNBA.

Now, the Aces control their own destiny in making the WNBA playoffs after an 85-72 win over the New York Liberty at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Wednesday night.

“I told them (the Aces players) at the start of the season that at the end of the season they wanted to be the team that no one wanted to play,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “And I think we have accomplished that goal. I think that teams don’t want to play us because we have the capability of scoring a lot of points and move up and down the floor. We’re at the point now that we have a chance (for the playoffs).”

All five of the Aces starters scored in double digits led by forward A’ja Wilson, who dropped 19 points.

The Aces jumped out quickly in the game, building a 31-10 lead after the first quarter, but the Liberty scrapped back throughout the game.

“Players know that they have to play intense for 40 minutes or you let teams back in the game and that’s what happened today,” said Laimbeer. “But at the same time, a win is a win and on to the next game which we all know the importance of, so I think we’re excited and we put ourselves in the position to have a one game shootout.  It’s a big game for us so I guess we have to go win.”

With the Aces and the Dallas Wings tied for the final playoff spot with each having two games left in the regular season, the two teams play on Friday in Dallas in a must win game for the Aces.

“We want to take it one game at a time,” said guard Kayla McBride. “Obviously you know with Dallas we’re tied for 8th place with them right now, so it’s a win or go home game, like a single elimination game and we know that we are going to prepare as best we can, rest up, go to Dallas and go to work.”

If the Aces lose that game, the will be eliminated from playoff contention, due to Dallas holding the tiebreaker after beating the Aces three times in the season.

If the Aces win, Las Vegas will earn a playoff berth with either a win over Atlanta on Sunday or a Dallas loss to Seattle on Sunday.

The Aces final two regular season games:

8/17 – at Dallas
8/19 – vs Atlanta

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

• A’ja Wilson scored in double figures (19) in all 31 of her games so far this season.
• The Aces shot 52.2% from the field while holding New York to 43.1%.
• 7,159 Aces fans attended the game at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
• NBA players Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors and Kyle O’Quinn of the Indiana Pacers were in attendance.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 1 Tamera Young
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 10 Kelsey Plum