Las Vegas Aces A’Ja Wilson (22) drives on the Minnesota Lynx Napheesa Collier (24) first quarter at the T Mobile Center in Las Vegas Thu Sep 4, 2025 (Getty photo)

By Rich Perez

LAS VEGAS–The opening quarter in this game was a mix of ties and lead changes but the Las Vegas Aces (26-14) really turned it on in the second quarter and never looked back in the second half of play winning the game 97-87 beating the Minnesota Lynx (32-8). This was their 13th straight win over the number one team in the WNBA. A’Ja Wilson had the team high finishing with 31 points.

It was crazy opening quarter of basketball with the lead rotating back and forth in a wildly competitive game. With under a minute left in the first quarter the game was tied at 24. As the quarter came to an end Las Vegas had taken a 26-24 lead.

The Aces were shooting at a 63% clip and the Lynx at almost 59%. The turnovers were kept at a minimum by both teams. Wilson already was shooting in double digit with ten points. This game could not have been closer. Both Wilson and Jackie Young had great starts with Young hitting her first three shots taken which included a couple of shots from the line. After the first ten minutes of play Las Vegas had a slim 26-24 lead.

The Aces came into this game ready and focused as evidenced in the first quarter. Mid-way through the second quarter Las Vegas had a 37-33 lead. The Aces needed more from not only their starters but also from their bench.

Both teams had their foot firmly on the pedal in this hotly contested game. So far Wilson and Young had carried the load for the Aces. After two quarters the Las Vegas Aces had a 47-44 lead. Wilson finished the first half with 17 points and Young with 12 points.

The only Lynx player with double digits was Courtney Williams with 10 points. Both teams had played a pretty clean game with only 6 turnovers for the Aces and 5 from Minnesota. Las Vegas had more bench points, more rebounds as well as more points from the line.

The Aces knew they had to show up for this game and that is exactly what they did. After the horrendous loss back in early August Wilson had said “that will NEVER happen again.” She held true to her word in the first half. The Aces had a nice opening quarter but really picked it up in the second quarter in this action-packed thriller.

The Aces had really put the stops on Napheesa Collier who is the WNBA’s leading scorer who only had seven points in the first half. Las Vegas took a 63-55 lead mid-way through the third quarter as they continued to fight hard.

After taking a pretty nice lead, the Lynx went on a bit of a run cutting the Aces lead to 63-62. The Las Vegas defense faltered in the closing minutes of the quarter leaving the basket unguarded resulting in six points.

This was a break-down they could not afford. The pick and roll was a key play for the Lynx down the stretch. Too many missed shots were really hurting the Aces. Las Vegas did get it rolling as the quarter came to an end taking a 70-66 lead.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Aces needed to pay attention to detail and put a stop to defensive lapses. Two minutes into the quarter Las Vegas had taken a ten-point lead 76-66. The Lynx came roaring back cutting the Vegas lead in half 76-71.

Five minutes into the quarter, the Aces had pushed their lead back out to ten leading 81-71. A time-out was called by the Lynx at 4:42 when the Aces took their largest lead of the game 85-72. Las Vegas hung onto the lead winning the game 97-87 for their 13th win in a row. What an incredible stretch for the Aces.

The Aces Wilson finished with the team high of 31 points. Young had 20 points and Chelsea Gray finished with 13 points. The Aces had to fight in this game defensively and stumbled here and there but did a pretty good job when push came to shove.

This team is headed for a great finish on the season; they are on a high and they want to continue this run next Sunday at home. There were no mental breakdowns in this game as Las Vegas hung onto the lead for most of the game.

Game notes: It’s no secret that the Aces are on an amazing roll right now. They have now won 13 games in a row beating some of the best teams in the WNBA. They for sure have a huge bullseye on their back. There is one team, however, that has made life pretty miserable for the Aces this season and that is the first place Minnesota Lynx (32-8)

They have met three times this season losing every game. Back in mid-June they lost 76-52, a 14-point loss and it just got more lop-sided with every ensuing game. In late July they lost to Minnesota 109-78, a 31 point loss and then a total disaster in early August a blow-out 111-58 giving up a WNBA record losing by 53 points.

It was Minnesota’s biggest road win in history. Thursday night they got a breakthrough with a win over the Lynx. They are playing some of their best basketball of the season but in this game they brought their A-game with little to no room for error. This was the last meeting in the regular season before going into the post-season where the Lynx are highly favored to walk away with the championship.

They have a solid starting roster and shoot equally well in the paint and from beyond the arc. They are a threat from anywhere on the court and the Aces need to get a quick start in this game. They will have their fan base behind them playing at T-Mobile Arena.

The Las Vegas Aces will remain at home taking on the Chicago Sky this Sunday at T-Mobile Arena. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 6:00 PM.