Category: Las Vegas Aces

Liberty dominate Aces, 94-85

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Sabrina Ionescu hits one of her 5 made 3-pointers against the Aces on Monday. (Michelle Farsi/Getty Images)


By Shawn McCullough

The Aces dropped their second straight game in a 94-85 loss to the Liberty in New York.

“Defense is a huge difference when the shots are not falling on the offensive end,” said forward A’ja Wilson. “In every loss, it seems to be one quarter that bites us.”

That quarter was the second quarter when the Liberty outscored the Aces, 25-16.

“I felt we made a lot of mistakes defensively in the second quarter,” said head coach Becky Hammon.

Las Vegas got 24 points from guard Jackie Young, while Wilson added 23 points and eight rebounds.

“We have been in a shooting slump for the last few games, but we have to rely more on our defense,” said Wilson.

The Aces and the Liberty are now tied, 2-2, in the regular season series, which has turned into a big rivalry this season.

“This is when you shine the brightest,” said Wilson on the rivalry. “For us to be part of a rivalry, we take that into perspective and we try to shine the brightest.”

With the loss, the Aces fell to 30-6 on the season heading into their next game at home on Thursday against the Washington Mystics.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 44.9% from the field.
Las Vegas went 9 for 23 from three-point range.
The Liberty’s biggest lead in the game was 19 points.

Game Starters:

C – 41 Kiah Stokes
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Candace Parker, Out – Foot

Aces Fall to Washington Mystics 78-62

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US Vice President Kamala Harris is presented with a Las Vegas Aces jersey from the Aces A’ja Wilson at the White House on Fri Aug 25, 2023 to celebrate last season’s Aces WNBA championship victory. Harris who gets the number 49 for being the US’s 49th vice president. The Aces played against the Washington Mystics the next night Sat Aug 26, 2023 in DC (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (30-5) are heading into the final stretch of the regular season. They are fresh off a visit to the White House yesterday welcomed by Vice-President Kamala Harris. She led a celebration for the 2022 WNBA champions.

She was full of praise for not only the grit and determination that they showcased on the court but also the ferocious advocacy in support of colleague Brittney Griner during her detention in Russia. It was a memorable and emotional day for the team. Saturday it was back to business as the team took on the Washington Mystics (16-18) and took their fifth loss of the season losing to the Mystics 78-62.

Two minutes into the game, the Aces were finally able to get up on the board but had some ground to make up trailing 13-2 at 5:54. It was another slow start for Las Vegas. These slow starts have become uncomfortable lately, and with the playoffs just around the corner they will want to clean that up.

They want to ensure a number one seed when they do go into the playoffs. As the first quarter came to an end, the Aces had fought off the slow start. After having trailed by as much as eleven points, they now trailed by a deuce 19-17. The Mystics had applied pressure to the Aces on the interior and it was working.

At 7:18 the Aces hit the first basket of the second quarter to tie up the game at 19. They did go on a 6-0 run in the quarter but it was not at all the quality basketball that we typically see from this team.

They did lead at halftime 30-27 and had held the Mystics to an 8 point quarter but they had 13 turnovers in the half which was doing them no favors. It was not a great half for Las Vegas. The Mystics continued to control the paint and between the turnovers and missed shots, it was not a great first half for the Aces.

Neither team had players that came away from the first two quarters with double digits. It was just a slow game with inconsistent shooting from both teams. It was an interesting first half with the Aces only shooting at 33% to the Mystics 25%.

Las Vegas was at 18.8% from beyond the arc while the Mystics were 0 of 13. It was just a slow as molasses kind of game. The second half would show if the Aces could continue the second half success that they had shown all season.

The Mystics continued with the game plan that had brought so much success in the first half. After three quarters Washington held a slim lead 52-48. The Mystics had held the highest scoring team in the WNBA to under 50 points after three. Washington won the third quarter 25-18. The Aces had a single quarter to turn this game around.

At 7:38 the Mystics had a 57-50 lead and never looked back. With under five minutes left in the game, Las Vegas trailed by a significant number 63-52. The Aces couldn’t buy a bucket in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

With three minutes left in the game, Las Vegas was in trouble trailing 66-54. The final was 78-62 in favor of Washington who had everything to play for sitting in eighth place in the standings.

This was the second lowest scoring game of the season for the Aces. They had dropped a game earlier in the season to the Liberty 99-61. They are looking very vulnerable right now which is concerning. They finished with 13 turnovers and they were outscored from the field and from beyond the arc. The Mystics had a great game plan and executed it flawlessly.

Monday night Las Vegas will take on the New York Liberty as they continue to play on the road. This will not be an easy task for the team and they certainly have a lot to clean up. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Aces Survive Scare Against Sky 94-87; 30 wins by Aces most in a season in WNBA history

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The Las Vegas Aces set a WNBA record for the most wins in a season with their win over the Chicago Sky on Thu Aug 24, 2023 in Chicago (@LVAces image)

By Barbara Mason

Thursday evening the Las Vegas Aces (30-4) traveled to Chicago taking on the Sky (13-21) and hung onto for a seven point win over Chicago 94-87. As this game got underway, the first half turned out to be more of a nightmare for the Aces.

The Sky had a great game plan holding Las Vegas to 37.8% from the field while the Sky were shooting a little over 54%. Chicago was aggressive coming away with 20 rebounds to the Aces 14. The Sky won the first quarter 24-17 as well as the second 26-20.

At the half, the Sky had a 50-37 lead. We have seen the Aces overcome deficits all season but the first half saw Las Vegas missing far too many shots. They definitely had a lackluster first half. Kelsey Plum had only made a number of free throws but nothing from the field.

A’Ja Wilson had 12 points at the half with both Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young with eight points. If Las Vegas was going to win this matchup, they had to pick up their offense. The Aces have shown over and over that they are a second half team and they need to pull out all the stops in this contest. The first half was all Chicago.

The Sky did not slow down one bit in the third quarter. Las Vegas had cut the Chicago lead to single digits in the early minutes but the Sky came roaring back to take a 56-42 lead. They were relentless. Las Vegas began to turn up their physicality once again cutting the Dream lead to single digits.

Kelsey Plum turned up the heat hitting 16 points with just under five minutes left in the quarter with the Aces eyeing the lead trailing 60-57. With 2:45 left in the quarter it was a tie game 62-62. The Aces rallied in this game to take the lead 67-65 after having trailed by 16 points.

Kelsey Plum had struggled in the first half but completely turned it around in the second half finishing with 18 points as the third quarter came to an end. The Aces had a slim lead going into the fourth quarter 70-68. They had won the third quarter 33-18.

With less than six minutes left in the game, the Aces had a 81-78 lead and it became evident that this game was going down to the wire. The Aces got a slight advantage in the fourth quarter taking a 86-80 lead with under four minutes left in the game.

With all the marbles on the table this was anybody’s game. The Aces played a brilliant final minute extending their lead 90-84 with 43 ticks on the clock. They had won 30 season games which was a WNBA record.

The Aces fought hard in the second half. They had no choice in the matter; the Dream came in with incredible energy and a great plan that had the Aces stymied in the first half. Jackie Young had the team high with 24 points with Kelsey Plum right behind her with 24. Both A’Ja Wilson and Jackie Young had 10 rebounds apiece. It was an amazing comeback.

Saturday evening Las Vegas will take on the Washington Mystics. The Aces have a huge bullseye on their backs. With so many teams vying for a spot in the playoffs they have all lifted their level of play to new heights. The Mystics will be no different. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

A’Ja Wilson’s 50+ Points Dominates the Dream 112-100

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The Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson (22) outscores everyone defeating the Atlanta Dream in WNBA action at the Gateway Center at College Park GA (@LVAces photo)

A’Ja Wilson’s 50+ Points Dominates the Dream 112-100

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday evening the Las Vegas Aces (29-4) traveled to Atlanta to take on the Dream (16-17) and the Aces A’Ja Wilson led with an amazing 50 point to defeat the Dream 112-110.

Tuesday game wrap: It was a hard-fought battle in the opening quarter with the Dream winning the first quarter by the slimmest of margins 34-33.

The battle continued into halftime with the Aces this time leading by the slimmest of margins 56-55. A’Ja Wilson was having a terrific first half with 22 points as was Kelsey Plum with 14 points. Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young both had an unusually quiet first half.

The Aces turned this game around as they went into the third quarter. They won the third quarter 26-13 leading 82-68 going into the fourth quarter. Both Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young started hitting shots and the Aces had all the momentum going on in this game.

Las Vegas really poured it on in the fourth quarter. Wilson continued to completely dominate this game finishing with 53 points. It was simply another amazing game from Las Vegas. We have seen these second half dominations and they are not done with a few more games left in the season.

Las Vegas only had nine turnovers, so great ball protection. The two teams were close when it came to points from the floor; the Aces had 50.7% and the Dream came in with 49.3%. When you look at the stats these two teams seemed, by the numbers, to be pretty evenly matched. It was the play by A’Ja Wilson that put this game on ice.

Aces post game notes: They dropped their last game last Saturday losing to the Los Angeles Sparks 78-72 in a crazy low scoring game. The Dream continued their losing streak extending it to 14 straight games to the Aces. Las Vegas bounced back with a win. The Aces embarked on a four game road trip that begun in Atlanta Tuesday.

Thursday evening the Aces will meet the Chicago Sky, still playing on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Aces Drop a Tough One To Los Angeles 78-72

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The final score says it all as the Las Vegas Aces drop their fourth loss of the year to the Los Angeles Sparks at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sat Aug 19, 2023 (@LVAces image)

Aces Drop a Tough One To Los Angeles 78-72

By Barbara Mason

Saturday the Las Vegas Aces (28-4) took on the Los Angeles Sparks (13-18) at Michelob ULTRA Arena and dropped their fourth loss of the season to the Los Angeles Sparks 78-72, the Aces who rarely loose have lost three of their last seven games. They had a slow start while the Sparks came out with a lot of energy. Los Angeles won the first quarter 24-15.

Las Vegas came around in the second quarter winning it 21-18 but trailed going into the half 42-36. They had made up a little ground and they typically crank things up in third and fourth quarters. We have seen them close out up many games this season in the second half.

The Sparks put up some nice early offense in the third quarter and with under six minutes left in the quarter had taken a 50-40 lead. The Aces had some work to do.

Los Angeles kept the heat on in the fourth quarter. Their offense was crushing it and their defense was giving the Aces all kinds of trouble. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the game, the Sparks had taken a 72-65 lead and showed no signs of letting down.

They have improved significantly since the start of the season and they also have been thriving in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas was forcing turnovers but they were having trouble turning some of them into points.

It’s in these tight games that the team is really missing Candace Parker who is out indefinitely after having surgery for a fracture in her left foot. There were less than two minutes left on the clock and the Aces trailed 72-70. With 30 seconds left in the game, the Aces fouled, the Sparks scored, took a 74-70 lead, and it was all but done for Las Vegas. This was their first season loss at home.

Las Vegas was only shooting at 35% from the field and 25% on three’s. They struggled from the get-go while the Sparks came out strong from the start of the game. Los Angeles was shooting almost 53% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. They outplayed the Aces throughout most of the game. Los Angeles is fighting for a playoff spot so they have a lot to play for going forward.

This was a very low scoring game for Las Vegas who typically scores in the neighborhood of the mid-nineties. This is not the time of year that you want to fall off offensively. A’Ja Wilson had a great game despite the loss with 25 points and nine rebounds which was the high score for the Aces. Layshia Clarendon had the high for the Sparks with 22 points.

Aces post game notes: After finally figuring out the Liberty, the Las Vegas Aces (28-4) were looking to finishing off the season on a high note. There are eight games left in the regular season and they will meet New York one more time in late August. The Aces have clinched a playoff spot as has New York. It seems right now that Las Vegas has met their match in the Liberty.

Las Vegas will have a few days off before heading to Atlanta to play the Dream this coming Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Chelsea Gray’s Triple Double Spurs Aces On to Win Over Liberty 88-75

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New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) defends against the Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Thu Aug 17, 2023 (@LVAces photo)

Chelsea Gray’s Triple Double Spurs Aces On to Win Over Liberty 88-75

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (27-3) had a huge game tonight at MIchelob ULTRA Center with a 88-75 win over the New York Liberty. They were desperate to crack the code that has held them hostage in the past two meetings with the New York Liberty (24-6). New York has been able to successfully box in A’Ja Wilson and so far the Aces have been unable to counter. The Liberty seem to be the only obstacle standing between the Aces and a second championship. They were able to break through in this game.

While the Aces did beat New York back in June on the 29th, the Liberty have had it their way ever since. They stunned the Aces on August 6 99-61 and most recently on August 15 a second loss 82-63. In both of those losses A’Ja Wilson was only able to hit nine points. It was something that the Aces have not seen this entire season.

It did not start off well for Las Vegas falling behind 8-0 in the early minutes. It was not until the final two minutes of the opening quarter that the Aces had their first lead of the game 21-19. Las Vegas pushed back and had a 25-21 lead after the first quarter of play. Wilson was still looking for her first points of the game.

At 6:37 in the second quarter Wilson made her first shot of the game, a free throw. Despite rushing shots at times, the Aces did take a 53- 40 lead at the half. A’Ja Wilson already had 11 points to her credit and Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelseas Gray also had double digits for the half.

The Aces led for the entire third quarter but the Liberty had cut into the Aces lead. They went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter with the Aces still leading 68-64.

Both teams fought hard throughout the fourth quarter but the Aces had finally broken through for the win.

Chelseas Gray had the franchises first triple double, with 22 points and 11 rebounds. A’Ja Wilson had turned things around finishing with 21 points and four boards and the Aces were back on track now with a 28-3 record. The team had their 21st home win in a row.

Saturday night the Aces will take on the Los Angeles Sparks in Las Vegas. Tipoff is scheduled for 12:00 PM. This game will be televised on ABC TV.

Aces bounce back from loss to Liberty, 88-75

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By Shawn McCullough

The Aces fell to the New York Liberty in the Commissioners Cup on Tuesday, but Las Vegas made a statement about who is still the best team in the WNBA.

Two days later, Las Vegas came out with a solid defensive game in an 88-75 win over the Liberty at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“Excellent job defensively,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “To hold them to 11 points in the fourth quarter is an exception job defensively.”

Chelsea Gray led the Aces with a triple-double: 22 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.

“I have great targets around me all the time and we were able to knock down shots,” said Gray.

“You feel really good when Chelsea Gray is on your team,” said Hammon. “She is one of the most competitive people I know.”

A’ja Wilson added 21 points and eight rebounds, while Kelsey Plum also scored 18.

“She [Wilson] missed some layouts in the first, but we just wanted to get her more touches in the fourth,” said Hammon. “She just continues to play the right way.”

The Liberty had beaten the Aces the last two games, including the Commissioners Cup on Tuesday.

“They [Aces] responded in a big way,” said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. “But you expect that from them after two straight losses.”

“This game, we did what we should have done in the past two games,” said Wilson.

The Aces extended their home winning streak to 21 games.

With the win, the Aces improved to 27-3 on the season heading into their next game at home on Saturday against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 44.4% from the field.
Las Vegas out-rebounded the Liberty, 35-28.
The Liberty turned the ball over 15 times.

Game Starters:

C – 41 Kiah Stokes
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Candace Parker, Out – Foot

Liberty Continues Las Vegas Domination 82-63

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Image from Las Vegas Aces Twitter

Liberty Continues Las Vegas Domination 82-63

By Barbara Mason

Nine days ago the New York Liberty (24-6) put the hurt on the Las Vegas Aces (27-3) 99-61. Tonight the Aces played the Liberty in Las Vegas in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup and dropped another game to New York by 19 points at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas 82-63 on Tuesday night. The Aces loose their second straight game to the Liberty after the beating they took at the hands of New York on Sun Aug 6th.

Tuesday game recap: Neither team scored in the opening 3 1/2 minutes. It was a low scoring quarter for both teams. The Liberty led by as much as 9 points and after the first quarter New York had a 17-11 lead.

The Liberty had a great game plan in their last meeting and the question would be, can they repeat. They did keep the highest scoring team in the WNBA to a mere 11 points in the opening quarter of this game.

The Aces had an 11-0 run to end the second quarter. In their last meeting Las Vegas trailed the Liberty 49-44 at the half. The halftime score in this game was in favor of the Aces 34-32. They won the second quarter 23-15 turning the tables on New York. We knew this was a rivalry and it would be a dog fight to the end.

The Liberty won the third quarter 24-14 and the Aces were in trouble falling further and further behind. They trailed after three quarters 56-48.

With each possession in the fourth quarter, Las Vegas continued to struggle and the Liberty had taken a 72-57 lead with under five minutes left in the game. With three minutes left in the game, A’Ja Wilson had not scored a single point in the final quarter. Once again, New York came into the evening with a great game plan especially in the second half putting this game away.

The Liberty put the stops on A’Ja Wilson who only scored nine points in the game. The Aces only shot 33% from the floor and 19% from beyond the arc. The Liberty had 49 rebounds to the Aces 28. Las Vegas will have some work to do figuring out New York going forward. With the season winding down the Aces have some serious work to do.

Thursday night the Aces will face the Liberty again in Las Vegas looking to figure out New York. In the past two games against New York, it was the Liberty that controlled the flow of the game The Aces will really need to win this next game Thursday night not only for their season record but for the all- important mental aspect of the game.

Aces home domination continues, beat Dream, 86-65

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Las Vegas Aces players Cayla George (13), Kiah Stokes (41) and Kierstan Bell (1) celebrate after a 98-81 victory over New York Liberty during the second half of a WNBA basketball game at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay Thursday, June 29, 2023. (photo credit: Steve Marcus)

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces won their 20th straight home game with an 86-65 victory over the Atlanta Dream at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“It was a grind it out game for us,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “It wasn’t pretty, but no game is easy in the WNBA.”

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 21 points, while also pulling down nine rebounds.

“We were really playing out of our defense,” said Wilson. “We fuel on that.” 

Jackie Young added 17 points, while Cayla George came off the bench and scored 11.

“When people talk about us, they don’t understand that our role players are there to help us,” said Wilson.

The Aces will next play for the Commissioners Cup on Tuesday against the New York Liberty at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“It will be a good matchup overall,” said Wilson. “It will be fun, it brings the best out of everybody.”

“We are going to have to execute our game plan,” said Hammon. “We will have a better lock-in factor.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 26-3 on the season.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot just 41.6% from the field.
Las Vegas went seven for 23 from three-point range.
The Dream turned the ball over 16 times.

Game Starters:

C – 41 Kiah Stokes
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Alysha Clark, Out – Back
Candace Parker, Out – Foot

Raiders Rout San Francisco In Pre-Season Opener 34-7

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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (4) throws the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL preseason football game, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP News photo)

Raiders Rout San Francisco In Pre-Season Opener 34-7

By Barbara Mason

While it is the first game of pre-season, the Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers remain rivals despite the new geographical look for the Raiders. The rivalry has endured.

Las Vegas took an early 7-0 lead in the opening quarter. 10 plays and 68 yards later Zamir White rushed for one yard and the touchdown. This was their first drive of the game and Daniel Carlson capped it off with the extra point.

San Francisco tied up the game in the second quarter. Quarterback Trey Lance connected with Ross Dwelley for nine yards and the touchdown. The Raiders answered scoring before the half. With .34 seconds left on the clock Aiden O’Connell found Keelan Cole Sr. for 9 yards and touchdown followed by a second extra point from Daniel Carlson. They took a 14-7 lead into the locker room.

The third quarter was all Raiders. Daniel Carlson connected on a 53-yard field goal giving the Raiders a 17-7 lead. This was just the start of domination by Las Vegas. With 1:24 left in the third, Sincere McCormick romped into the end zone for 2 yards and another Raider touchdown for a 24-7 lead.

Las Vegas completed the rout in the fourth quarter scoring twice. Daniel Carlson had a second field goal in the quarter, a 46 yarder giving the Raiders a 27-7 lead. Sincere McCormick had a second touchdown in the quarter. He pulled in a 2 yard pass from Chase Garber for the 34-7 lead which was the final.

Aidan O’Connell went 15 of 18 for 141 yards and a touchdown. Chase Garber was 3 of 5 for 11 yards and he also had one touchdown. Las Vegas finished with 120 rushing yards and 146 passing yards. Zamir White had 43 yards on 13 carries.

Of course this was only pre-season but if was obvious that Las Vegas put more thought into the game plan for this game then San Francisco.

Next up for Las Vegas in the second game of the pre-season will be the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. That kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM next Saturday August 19.

On Sat 19 the 49ers will host the Denver Broncos at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara for the Niners first pre season home game a 5:30pm kick off. Michael Roberson will be reporting from Levi Stadium.