The Las Vegas Aces Chelsea Gray (12) dribbles on the Washington Mystics Di Di Richards (12) at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington DC on Sun Jul 14, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (16-7) won their fourth game in a row against the Washington Mystics (6-18) 89-77. The Aces continue to sit in second place in the Western Conference and fourth place overall.

They are nipping on the heels of the Minnesota Lynx who are in first place in the Western Conference. A Lynx loss Sunday against the Fever would drop them into second place in the division by 1/2 game and the Aces would step into first place. A’Ja Wilson had another double double with 17 rebounds and 28 points. She continues to amaze.

Game recap: The Mystics came out with great energy in the opening quarter while the Aces not so much. Washington took the lead 31-20 after the first ten minutes of play. No lead is one that the Aces cannot overcome and they went on to win the second quarter 20-12 but they did trail at the half 43-40. It is no secret that the Aces can be lethal in the second half of games and the Mystic lead was a mere three points, a single shot.

Washington continued to hang around and when the third quarter came to an end they only trailed by the score of 65-62. Las Vegas had won the third quarter 25-19. The Aces sealed this win in the fourth quarter winning the quarter 24-15 and the game 89-77.

The Mystic put up a fight but could not handle the offense of Las Vegas. Washington was hot from downtown shooting 57% hitting 12 of 21 but from the field, the Aces won the battle. The Aces had their fourth win a row.

A’Ja Wilson had another double double with 17 rebounds and 28 points. Kelsey Plum had 22 points and Tiffany Hayes had a great game off the bench with 17 points. Those 17 points tied her season best and her 5 rebounds were a season high for her.

Jackie Young was quiet in this game after scoring 19 points in their last game Friday night against the Dream. The Aces sure have turned their season around after starting it with a 6-6 record. They have now won their last 10 of 11 games. Las Vegas has swept this seasons’ series with the Mystics winning all three games by double digits.

The Mystics Ariel Atkins had a terrific game scoring 36 points. She was the only Washington player in double figures and this tied her career high. She hit 6 3-pointers in the game.

Game notes: Sunday afternoon, the Aces defeated the Mystics at Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington DC. Las Vegas is coming off a dominating win over the Dream last Friday night 84-70 and they picked up their fourth win in a row.

The Mystics had a big win against the Indiana Fever Wednesday night 84-79. They are currently eyeing first place in the Western Conference and third place overall. The Lynx are currently in first place one game ahead of the Aces and at the time of this post were tied at the half with the Fever.

The Las Vegas Aces have one more game before the break and will not be back in league action until August 17 when they take on the Liberty in a clash between two elite teams. Las Vegas will take on the Sky next Tuesday night at home in their last game before season action takes a break. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM. This game can be viewed on Prime Video.