Category: Las Vegas Aces

Las Vegas Raiders podcast with Rich Perez: Raiders pick to finish second in AFC West

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Las Vegas Raiders running back Kenyan Drake (23) ready to make the catch for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos last season on Sun 10-17-22 in Denver. Drake is coming off December surgery and hopes to see some action as the Raiders first pre season game kicks off on Aug 4, 2022 at the Hall of Fame Game (AP News file photo)

On the Raiders podcast with Rich:

#1 This year’s Los Vegas Raiders have one of the best offenses coming into the 2022 season we’ll start with the running backs Josh Jacobs and Kenyan Drake. Drake who had ankle surgery is trying to work through his injury and rehab the ankle and get ready for the Hall of Fame game on Aug 4th.

#2 Taking a look at the Raiders tight end Darren Waller Raider head coach Josh McDaniels looks for Waller to be his top end at the position.

#3 The Raiders at wide receiver are ready with Devante Adams and Hunter Renfrow the Raiders quarterback Derek Carr says these are two receivers that he can rely on and could get some scores for Las Vegas.

#4 Quarterback Derek Carr is coming off the 2022 season throwing 4804 yards for 23 touchdowns with a 94 quarterback rating.

#5 After all the troubles the Raiders had last season they now come in with a new team president Sandra Douglas Morgan, a new head coach Josh McDaniels, and general manager Dave Ziegler how do you see these three meshing going into this season. The Raiders have been picked to finish second in the AFC West.

Join Rich for the Raiders podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Aces roll over Fever, 90-77

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Photo Credit: Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal

By Shawn McCullough

LAS VEGAS–The Aces bounced back from a tough loss on Tuesday to the Atlanta Dream with a 90-77 win over the Indiana Fever at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Las Vegas came out fast, building a 52-32 halftime lead and overcoming a rough fourth quarter, scoring just 14 points.

“They came back a little bit, but overall, a really good win from us,” said head coach Becky Hammon.

The Aces were led by A’ja Wilson’s 23 points, while Jackie Young added 16.

“I felt like my teammates set me up to where I can score the ball,” said Wilson.

Chelsea Gray had a double-double, scoring 14 points and dishing out 12 assists.

“That’s who she [Gray] is, that is Chelsea Gray, she is the head of our snake,” said Wilson. “When she is rockin’ and rollin’, we are rockin’ and rollin’.”

“When we are playing in transition, that’s when we are flowing,” said Gray.

The win snapped a 4-game losing streak for the Aces at home.

With the win, the Aces improved to 19-8 on the season and will play the final game of a three game homestand on Saturday against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 48.1% from the field and went 8 for 26 from three-point range.
Las Vegas out-rebounded the Fever, 43-33.
The Aces turned the ball over 16 times.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

Dream stun Aces, 92-76

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Photo Credit: Getty Images

By Shawn McCullough

The Atlanta Dream snapped the Aces three game winning streak with a 92-76 win over Las Vegas at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Dream shooting guard Tiffany Hayes scored 31 points, going 11 for 14 from the field and hitting four from three-point range.

The Aces came out flat, trailing 35-18 after the first quarter, and never bounced back.

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Jackie Young added 18.

With the loss, the Aces fell to 18-8 on the season and are now 1.5 games behind Chicago at the top of the WNBA standings.

The Aces will play the second game of a three game homestand on Thursday against the Indiana Fever.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot only 36.6% from the field.
Las Vegas was out-rebounded by the Dream, 40-29.
The Aces never led in the game.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

Aces win third straight, beat Sun, 91-83

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Photo Credit: Sean D. Elliot/The Day

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces finished off a three game East Coast road trip with a 91-83 win over the Sun in Connecticut.

The Aces trailed 37-35 at halftime, but came out on a 9-0 run to start the second half to pull away.

Guard Kelsey Plum scored a game high 22 points, going 7 for 14 from the field.

Chelsea Gray dropped 21 points, while A’ja Wilson added 20 and pulled down seven rebounds.

The Aces went 3-0 on this East Coast road trip.

With the win, the Aces improved to 18-7 on the season and are one game behind Chicago at the top of the WNBA standings.

The Aces will return home for three straight games, including their next game against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot only 41.9% from the field.
Las Vegas was out-rebounded by the Sun, 41-30.
The Aces signed guard Kelsey Plum to a contract extension.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

Aces blow out Liberty, 108-74

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Photo Credit: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

By Shawn McCullough

In their third straight game against the Liberty, the Aces routed New York at Barclays Center, 108-74, to take two of the three games.

Las Vegas again dominated the first quarter, outscoring the Liberty 37-13, but this time also controlled the game after that.

All-Star A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 25 points, while guard Kelsey Plum dropped 21, going 4 for 7 from three-point range.

The Aces hit 16 three-point shots in the game.

Chelsea Gray went 6 for 7 from the field, including 4 for 4 from three-point range.

With the win, the Aces improved to 17-7 on the season and inched to within ½ game of Chicago at the top of the WNBA standings.

The Aces will next travel to Connecticut to face the Sun on Sunday before returning home for three straight games.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 53.5% from the field.
Las Vegas out-rebounded the Liberty, 40-30.
For a second straight game, the Aces never trailed in the game.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

Aces snap two game skid, beat Liberty, 107-101

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Photo Credit: WNBA

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces avenged a 116-107 loss to the Liberty last Wednesday with a 107-101 win over New York at Barclays Center.

The Aces defense stepped up in the first half, holding the Liberty to just 28 points.

The Aces once led by as many as 24 points, but the Liberty rallied in the second half.

“Bad first half for them and then you flip the script,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “They put together a good second half.”

“I don’t think that we did a very good job closing today,” said guard Kelsey Plum. “We took our foot off the gas.”

The Aces were led by Plum, who scored 27 points while going 3 for 9 from three-point range.

“A win is a win and we need to learn from it,” said Plum.

Forwards A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young each dropped 23 points, while Wilson recorded her 50th career double-double, pulling down 14 rebounds.

“We have a target on our back, but we don’t have a monkey on our back,” said Wilson. “We try to stick together as much as we can. We lean on each other and we try to execute the best we can and get the win.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 16-7 on the season heading into their third straight game against the Liberty on Thursday in New York.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 51.6% from the field, while going 34 for 35 from the free throw line.
The Aces out-rebounded the Liberty, 36-27.
The Aces never trailed in the game.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

Aces lose second straight 116-107; Las Vegas drops fifth in last seven games

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The New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu had a triple double setting a WNBA record against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas in WNBA action on Wed Jul 6, 2022 (USA Today photo)

Aces Lose Second Straight 116-107

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Las Vegas Aces (15-7) took on the New York Liberty (9-12). It has been a real roller coaster ride for the Western Conference leaders. They lead the conference by one game, the Storm on their heels. They need to get back to basics and play the kind of basketball that they are capable of as they dropped their second straight game 116-107.

The first quarter was a close one with the Liberty leading 32-30 after ten minutes. The Aces got things rolling winning the second quarter 33-23 and led at the half 63-55.

It was an amazing second half for the Liberty. They won both the third and fourth quarter. While the Liberty won the third quarter 28-21, the Aces were still in this game leading by a single point 84-83.

The fourth quarter was all New York winning it 33-23 and the game handing the Aces their second loss in a row.

The Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu came away with a triple-double. She had 31 points in the highest scoring triple-double in WNBA history. She also had 13 rebounds and ten assists in a stellar game. She hit seven of eight from downtown in a near perfect performance.

The Aces A’JA Wilson had 29 points and nine rebounds. Jackie Young `finished with 24 points. They came up just short in this game. With this loss, the Aces had lost five of their last seven games.

Las Vegas has already secured their place in the 2022 Commissioners Cup game against the Chicago Sky in late July but they missed a chance Wednesday to play in Las Vegas. So no home floor advantage.

Las Vegas Raiders Report: Raiders hire first black woman as team president in NFL history

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Sandra Douglas Morgan becomes the NFL’s first black female to be a team president of an NFL club as announced during a press conference on Thu Jul 7, 2022 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

LAS VEGAS–Sandra Douglas Morgan was the Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and at a press conference on Thursday at Allegiant Stadium on the field it was announced that Morgan will become the first black female team president of an NFL team at the Las Vegas Raiders. Morgan is a native of Las Vegas.

Seated neat to Raiders owner Mark Davis, Morgan said “When Mark and I first discussed this opportunity, I was honored and humbled, but I also had a lot of questions. It’s no secret that this organization has faced some recent challenges, but I want to be clear. I am not here to sweep anything under the rug or avoid problems or concerns that need to be addressed,” she said.

Davis added that each time he interviewed a candidate for the team president position Morgan stayed at the top of the list for candidates. Davis said that he was impressed by her experience and her passion in the community and said that from the moment he met Morgan she would be a force to reckon with.

Morgan replaces former Raider team president Dan Vantrelle who Davis fired after he went to the Las Vegas Review Journal after receiving complaints regarding harassment and discrimination from Raider employees. Vantrelle also took the complaints of the employees to the NFL after talking to Davis about them and nothing was done about them according to Vantrelle. Marc Badain was team president before Vantrelle and had resigned in the summer of 2021.

The subject of the controversies over the past months was brought up to Morgan and she stated that she would handle them head on. “When Mark and I first discussed this opportunity, I was honored and humbled, but I also had a lot of questions. It’s no secret that this organization has faced some recent challenges, but I want to be clear. I am not here to sweep anything under the rug or avoid problems or concerns that need to be addressed,” she said.

The hiring comes as the Raiders prepare for camp and the exhibition season which starts Sun Aug 1st when the Raiders host the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant.

Rich Perez is a Las Vegas Raiders beat writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Aces Top Minnesota 91-85; Vegas picks up second win in three games

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Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard (10) dribbles the ball against Las Vegas Aces center Iliana Rupert (21) (photo from the Minnesota Star Tribune Erica Dischino)

Aces Top Minnesota 91-85

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Las Vegas Aces (15-5) traveled to Minnesota to take on the Lynx (6-15). The Aces got a 91-85 win in Minnesota. Las Vegas dropped their last game to the Storm 88-78 last Wednesday night collapsing in the fourth quarter. The game was tied with four minutes left in the game but the Aces couldn’t finish and lost to Seattle.. They were looking to get back on the winning track Friday night.

The Aces had a great start leading 15-2 with three minutes left in the first quarter. The Lynx made an amazing push in the final three minutes of the opening quarter. They went on a 11-2 run and only trailed 19-13 after the first ten minutes.

The Aces would hit seven shots in a row to end the first half. Despite ten turnovers they led after two quarters 46-33. Las Vegas shot 59% in the first half and the Lynx struggled shooting just under 36%.

Moriah Jefferson was 2-2 from downtown and had 12 points in the half to lead the Lynx. The Aces Chelsea Gray had 12 points and Kelsey Plum finished the first half with ten points.

The Aces continued to lead and after three quarters Las Vegas was still in charge 69-61. The Lynx won the third quarter 28-23 but still trailed never taking the lead once through three quarters.

At 6:02 in the fourth quarter the Lynx took their first lead of the game 76-75. The Lynx kept it close until the closing minutes. The final was 91-85.

The entire Las Vegas starting roster shot double digits with Chelsea Gray the team leader with 21 points. Kelsey Plum finished with 18 points and A’Ja Wilson had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Lynx got an outstanding game from Rachel Banham off the bench with 24 points and was six of eight from downtown. It was just not enough to get past Las Vegas.

The two teams will meet again on Sunday in Las Vegas. Tipoff is schedule for 4:00 PM.

Aces lose to Storm 88-78; Vegas’ third loss in four games

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Aces Lose to Storm 88-78; Vegas’ third loss in four games

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Las Vegas Aces (14-5) took on the Seattle Storm (12-7) at Climate Pledge Arena home of the Storm in Seattle. The Aces won their last game, a close one, to the LA Sparks 79-73 Monday night. The Aces in turn lost to the Storm 88-78 a ten point disappointment and the Aces third loss in their last four games.

The Storm are currently in second place in the Western Conference trailing the first place Aces.

The Aces won the first quarter 27-23 in a closely contested game. The Storm would pull to within three points at the half. Seattle won the second quarter by the slim margin of 21-20. The Aces led at the half 47-44. A’Ja Wilson pulled out all the stops in the first half the only Ace in double digits.

After three quarters the Storm had taken the lead 64-62 winning the quarter 20-15. The Aces had a strong fourth quarter finish in their last game and needed to finish strong in this one.

With four minutes left in the game, the score was tied at 72 and it was the Storm that finished the game. They hoped for a fourth quarter finish but that didn’t happen for Las Vegas and they dropped their third game in four outings. The ten point win was in favor of the Storm.

The Storm had a tremendous game from Jewell Loyd with 24 points.

The high score for the Aces was A’JA Wilson with yet another outstanding game. She finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray all shot double digits.

Las Vegas will be back on the court in Minnesota taking on the Lynx Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM PT.