Category: Las Vegas Aces

Aces snap three-game losing streak with 92-86 win over Sparks

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Photo credit: Shawn McCullough/Sports Radio Service

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces found their winning ways in a 92-86 win over the Los Angeles Sparks at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

The Aces were led by forward A’ja Wilson who scored 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.

“I have to give it to my teammates,” said Wilson. “They really put me in the best situations to create those shots and to get to the free throw line. And that’s what it’s all about it. Just finding the flow in our offense and getting the things done.”

Kelsey Plum came off the bench and scored 20 points while going 7 for 10 from the field including five 3-pointers.

“For me, it’s just continue to stay aggressive,” said Plum. “I’m just so grateful that I have teammates who always believe in me and encourage me.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 20-12 on the season and moved into 3rd place in the WNBA standings.

With just two games remaining in the regular season, the Aces will finish on the road in Atlanta against the Dream on Thursday and in Phoenix against the Mercury on Sunday.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • Dearica Hamby had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
  • The Aces out-rebounded the Sparks 48-27.
  • The Aces shot 47.7% from the field.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
G – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
F – 1 Tamera Young

Aces lose third straight game, 86-71

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Photo credit: Robert Scheer

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces once again dug themselves a hole early and couldn’t get out.

Las Vegas fell down 29-15 after the first quarter and lost to the Fever in Indiana 86-71.

“Well we’re searching,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “We know we got off to bad starts. Today was no exception. Right now we’re not a very good basketball team. We know that.”

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 18 points, while Liz Cambage added 15.

“We just have to go back home and regroup, honestly. That’s pretty much it,” said Wilson. “Bring a little bit more energy and come together. But I think the biggest thing, it’s on us.”

Laimbeer decided to change the starting lineup with Tamera Young replacing Kelsey Plum, but Plum came off the bench and scored 17 points, including going 5 for 9 from 3-point range.

“Whatever I can do for my team, that’s what I’m going to do,” said Plum. “And that’s what I’m going to continue to do, regardless if I’m starting or not.”

With the loss, the Aces fell to 19-12 on the season and are in 4th place in the WNBA standings.

With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Aces next return home to play the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • The Aces never led in the game
  • The Aces shot just 33.8% from the field
  • Indiana out-rebounded Las Vegas 44-37
  • Kayla McBride went 0 for 3 from the field and played just 11 minutes and 14 seconds

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
G – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
F – 1 Tamera Young

Aces collapse in 3rd quarter for second straight game, lose 98-77

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By Shawn McCullough

The old basketball adage says, “You have to play four quarters”.

The Aces learned that to be true for the second straight game as they fell to the Lynx 98-77 in Minnesota.

The Aces trailed at halftime 45-43, but got outscored in the third quarter 28-15.

“They played harder than us. They wanted it more than us,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.  “We are a very tired basketball team right now but the league doesn’t stop. We need a little bit of rest but unfortunately we are still on the road and we have more games we have to fight in.”

Rookie guard Jackie Young led the Aces with 14 points, while Liz Cambage added 12.

“They were hitting shots. Everything. They just played harder than we did,” said guard Sugar Rodgers.

With the loss, the Aces fell to 19-11 on the season and fell to 4th place in the WNBA standings.

The Aces will next play the Fever on Tuesday in Indiana.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • The Lynx shot 58.8% from the field, while the Aces were held to 42%
  • The Aces turned the ball over 15 times
  • Kayla McBride went 0 for 4 from 3-point range
  • The lead changed only twice in the game

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Aces fall in big game to Sun, 89-85

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Photo credit: Michael Blackshire/Las Vegas Review-Journal

By Shawn McCullough

The Connecticut Sun rallied in the second half to beat the Aces, 89-85, at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Aces played a solid first half, leading 56-47 at half time, but struggled in the 3rd quarter.

“We kind of let our foot off the gas a little bit and that gave a good Connecticut team at home the energy,” said forward A’ja Wilson.

Wilson scored 17 points while center Liz Cambage added 18.

“The third quarter, we didn’t come out with the energy and they were a little more aggressive than we were,” said forward Dearica Hamby.

With the loss, the Aces fell to 19-10 on the season and remain in third place in the WNBA standings, 1.5 games behind the first place Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun.

The Aces will next play the Lynx on Sunday in Minnesota.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • With the win, the Suns won the season series against the Aces, two games to one
  • The Aces shot 45.1% from the field, but only went 2 for 13 from 3-point range
  • Dearica Hamby registered a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds)

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Wilson, Cambage lead Aces past Mercury in overtime win

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Photo credit: Sports Radio Service/Shawn McCullough

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces got 19 points each from A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage to win their 4th straight game in an 84-79 overtime victory at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Wilson struggled with her shot for most of the game, but rose up in overtime by scoring nine of the 11 Aces points.

“The biggest thing that changed for me is I just let the game come to me,” said Wilson.  “I know I threw shots that I shouldn’t have thrown up but the fact that my teammates still trust me with a basketball is something that I take a lot of pride in.”

“A’ja was struggling the whole night and all of a sudden she plays great down the stretch. That’s who she is,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.

The Aces dominated the Mercury on the boards, 50-39, led by Cambage with 15 rebounds.

“I’m just trying to do my thing, I’m not in my head anymore,” said Cambage.  “Just going out there, trying not to mess up the plays and just focusing on getting rebounds and playing defense and letting the offense come from that.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 19-9 on the season and remain in third place in the WNBA standings, 1.5 games behind the first place Washington Mystics.

The Aces will next play the 2nd place Sun on Friday in Connecticut.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • Both teams struggled shooting from the field – Aces 36.9%, Mercury 37.3%.
  • There were 15 lead changes in the game.
  • Guard Jackie Young finished the game with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Aces make the playoffs after a 100-85 win over the Sky in Chicago

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Photo credit: @LVAces

By Ana Kieu

The Las Vegas Aces not only defeated the Chicago Sky 100-85 at Wintrust Arena, they also punched their tickets to the WNBA playoffs.

The Aces’ starting five featured Kelsey Plum, Kayla McBride, Liz Cambage, Dearica Hamby and Jackie Young.

The Sky provided the home crowd with their daily dose of Courtney Vandersloot’s assists throughout in the first quarter. Cambage–who turned 28 today–stood out as an Ace with her birthday bucket midway through the first. The Sky barely led 23-21 at the end of the first.

The Aces, however, charged ahead in the second quarter. Cambage made more birthday buckets and A’ja Wilson blocked a shot that denied potential Sky points late in the second. The Aces outscored the Sky 26-18 en route to a 47-41 lead at the halftime break.

Cambage got down to business in the third quarter with a plethora of buckets, field goals and jumpers. Also, Sydney Colson was a speedy runner who knocked down jumpers and showed off tip-ins. Colson, a veteran guard, has proven herself as a leader in redirecting the Aces’ season in the desert. The Aces led 47-64 at the end of the third.

Plum managed to plow her way past Sky defenders to tip the ball into the net for extra points in the fourth quarter. Moreover, Wilson denied a Sky shot by rebounding the ball with a little over five minutes left in the fourth. The Aces played to a 100-85 win over the Sky on the road.

The Aces return home to host the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, August 20 at 7:00 p.m. PT.

Aces defeat the Dream 94-90 in Las Vegas

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Photo credit: @LVAces

By: Ana Kieu

The Las Vegas had hoped to wrap up their three-game homestand on a high note. The Aces hosted the lowly Atlanta Dream at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Tuesday night.

The Aces’ starting five featured Kelsey Plum, Kayla McBride, Liz Cambage, Dearica Hamby and Jackie Young.

Cambage got things started with a two-point field goal with 9:40 left in the first quarter. The Australian center continued to turn heads by knocking down a jumper just above the head of a Dream defender, making it 4-0 Aces with 9:06 left in the first.

McBride also turned heads with back-to-back three-pointers to give the Aces a 25-12 lead with 3:37 left in the first. The Aces led 27-24 at the end of the first.

The Dream, however, stormed back in the second quarter and outscored the Aces 25-16 for a 49-43 lead at the halftime break. Marie Gulich shined with three-point shots, especially her notable shot that put the Dream up 31-29 with 8:40 left in the second. The German center quietly had herself a night.

The Aces managed to outscore the Dream 27-26 at the end of the third quarter. Aces rookie guard Jackie Young was in a lot of traffic on the court, but got the job done by knocking down a jumper to help the Aces to a 85-77 lead with 5:25 left in the third. Kelsey Plum also came up clutch, knocking down jumpers of her own.

The Aces (17-9) defeated the Dream (5-20) by a final of 94-90. Hamby led all scorers with 23 points, 16 rebounds and three assists. Moreover, McBridge joined the 2,500 point club.

The Aces head to Wintrust Arena to take on the Chicago Sky on Sunday, August 18 at 3:00 p.m. PT.

Aces defeat the Sun 89-81 in Las Vegas

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Photo credit: @LVAces

By: Ana Kieu

The Las Vegas had hoped to rebound in Sunday’s home game versus Connecticut Sun at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Did it happen? Yes!

The Aces’ starting lineup featured Kelsey Plum, Kayla McBride, Liz Cambage, Dearica Hamby and Jackie Young.

The Sun got off to a fast start and edged the Aces 24-21 at the end of the first quarter. The Sun’s 7-0 run made it 14-13 Aces. Also, Bria Holmes came off the Sun bench and drained buckets. Holmes returned to Connecticut after missing the entire 2018 season due to pregnancy.

The Aces, however, played catch up in the second quarter. Kayla McBride drained back-to-back buckets to amaze the home crowd. The score was all knotted up 42-42 at the halftime break.

Kelsey Plum was on point with a noteworthy three-point shot in the third quarter. Moreover, Jackie Young wowed the masses by helping the Aces turn defense into offense like in the Aces’ last home game on Friday. The Aces led 68-57 at the end of the third quarter.

The Aces displayed perfect timing during a few moments in the fourth quarter. Tamera Young rebounded a pass from a Sun defender and tipped the ball into the net to put the Aces up 67-54 with 1:04 left in the fourth quarter.
Moreover, Liz Cambage netted a ball to help the Aces to more points before the buzzer sounded. The Aces (16-9) defeated the Sun (16-8) by a final of 89-81.

NOTES: The first 1,500 fans received a free Aces license plate frame.

The Players Tribune published Liz Cambage’s article Sunday morning. Cambage opened up about her depression and anxiety in “DNP-Mental Health” which not only brought attention to her personal battles, but also the belief the WNBA should expand on mental health policies like the NBA.

UP NEXT: The Aces wrap up their homestand versus the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, August 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Aces drop heartbreaker to Sky 87-84

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Photo credit: @WNBA

By: Ana Kieu

The Las Vegas Aces were looking to win two in a row with a victory over the Chicago Sky at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Friday night. The Aces last defeated the Dallas Wings 75-70 at College Park Center last Saturday.

The Aces’ starting lineup featured Kelsey Plum, Kayla McBride, Liz Cambage, Dearica Hamby, and Jackie Young. The Aces were without A’ja Wilson, who is out with a left ankle sprain. Wilson collapsed to the floor after colliding with Cambage in the Aces’ game against the Seattle Storm at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on July 19th.

The Sky opened up the first quarter by scoring a handful of points. Stefanie Dolson hit plenty of three-pointers throughout the first. Dolson got past a few Aces defenders and hit a noteworthy three with 4:06 left in the first.

The Sky’s “uh oh” moment occurred with 1:09 left in the first. Gabby Williams made a long rebound to Diamond DeShields. DeShields knocked down the jumper to make it 24-10.

The Sky led 27-14 at the end of the first.

The Aces bounced back and outscored the Sky 27-21 in the second quarter. Sugar Rodgers provided a tremendous screen and knocked down a step-back jumper with 8:08 left in the second. Rodgers also delivered a sweet bounce that led to a three, pulling the Aces within seven, 31-24, with 6:35 left in the second.

The Aces trailed by seven, 48-41, at the end of the first half.

Aces rookie Jackie Young made a statement with a strong move that resulted in a two-point field goal, and as a result, the Aces trailed by two, 52-50, with 8:23 left in the third quarter.

McBride passed the ball to Cambage late in the fourth quarter. Cambage knocked it down for two. The Aces maintained a close game throughout the fourth, but they were unable to force overtime at the very least. Still, Young drained a clutch bucket to make it a one-point game with 2:10 left in the fourth.

The Aces (15-9) lost to the Sky (14-9) by a final of 87-84.

The Aces host the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, August 11 at 3:00 p.m.

Aces fall to Mystics in “earthquake” game, 99-70

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Photo credit: Sports Radio Service/Shawn McCullough

By Shawn McCullough

It’s a little tough to re-start a game one month later being down by 15 at half time and have any hope to win the game.

The Aces and the Washington Mystics played just the second half of a game suspended back on July 5th due to an earthquake in Las Vegas, with the Mystics winning the game 99-70.

The game back in July was suspended at halftime with the Mystics leading 51-36 due to the effects in Las Vegas of a 7.1 earthquake centered in Ridgecrest, CA, 226 miles away.

“It’s a weird day, weird time,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.  “We had a sliver of a chance there in the third quarter if we made a couple shots and didn’t give them open three balls but once that closed, it was a little difficult to come back against a team like that.”

The Aces were led by guard Kelsey Plum who scored 17 point including three 3-pointers.

“Obviously we were down by 15 [starting the game at halftime], you have to make something happen and play something fast and get the ball up quickly,” said Plum.  “Luckily a couple fell, but unfortunately they made a lot of shots and our defense wasn’t great.  We gave them second opportunities and they hit a lot of three balls. They are a really good team and if you give them extra possessions, they’ll make you pay for it.”

A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage both played in the first half of the game back on July 5th, but both sat out the second half tonight (Wilson – Ankle, Cambage – Rest).

With the loss, the Aces fell to 15-8 on the season and dropped to 3rd in the WNBA standings.

The Aces will next play the Chicago Sky on Friday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • The first half of the game back on July 5th was played at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, while the second half was played tonight at T-Mobile Arena.
  • The Mystics’ 99 points are the most allowed by the Aces in a regulation 40-minute game this season
  • Washington outshot the Aces 54.8% to 38.9% from the field

Game Starters (on July 5th):

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum