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Aces win second game of the season, beat Fever 101-92 in OT
Photo credit: Las Vegas Aces
By Shawn McCullough
The Las Vegas Aces outscored the Indiana Fever 17-8 in overtime for their second win of the season in a 101-92 victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with a career-high 35 points and also a career-high 13 rebounds.
Las Vegas led by eight points with a little over two minutes remaining in regulation, but the Fever rallied back to tie the game with 26.6 seconds left.
The Aces started the overtime period on an 8-0 run and never looked back.
The offense came alive against the Fever as the Aces shot 51.9% from the field, while holding Indiana to just 44.4%.
With the win, the Aces improved to 2-7 on the season.
The Aces will play their next two games on the road in New York against the Liberty and in Dallas against the Wings.
The Aces next home game will be on Sunday, June 17th against the Phoenix Mercury at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- The Aces never trailed in the game after an A’ja Wilson jump shot with 2:39 left in the first quarter to give Las Vegas a 20-18 lead.
- A’ja Wilson scored in double figures (35) for the ninth straight game and 30 or more points for the first time in her career.
- Nia Coffey (ankle) and Moriah Jefferson (knee) did not play due to injury.
- Yesterday was Nia Coffey’s 23rd birthday.
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 1 Tamera Young
C – 19 JiSu Park
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
Warriors finish off Cavs 108-85 for back-to-back championships
Photo credit: @warriors
By Pearl Allison Lo
The Golden State Warriors were on the big stage following their defeat of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017. This year, Golden State knocked out Cleveland again with a 108-85 rout Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night at the Quicken Loans Arena.
The start of the game was familiar territory as the Warriors went into the game with a 3-0 advantage, but the result was unfamiliar as they found themselves with another title–their first ever back-to-back titles. It was Golden State’s sixth straight win of these 2018 playoffs.
For fans of the opposing team, perhaps more disappointing than the loss for the Cavs, is whether star LeBron James will stay or leave.
Still sporting a red eye from Game 1, James left the court with 4:03 left after playing a game-high 41 minutes and scoring 23 points. He left to praise from all, including his opponents and the crowds chants of “MVP” grew louder.
Speaking of MVP, Kevin Durant matched his team, receiving the NBA Finals accolade for the second straight year. Durant finished a +30 and earned his first career playoff triple double, with 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds along with a game-high 10 assists.
Teammate Stephen Curry, who held the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the game, scored a 2018 playoff-high 37 points in 39 minutes.
In the first, after both teams scored, the Warriors went on an 11-0 run, seven points from Curry, which Cleveland then countered with an 8-0 run. Golden State had three fouls during the latter run, including a technical. The Warriors’ Klay Thompson left the court after his second foul.
The Cavs’ last possession of the first was marked by four offensive rebounds, three missed shots and two blocks by Golden State.
Curry overcame his 11 point performance in Game 3 with 12 points in the first.
It took awhile for Golden State to get going in the second. Cleveland took advantage, gaining the lead for the first time, 39-38, with 7:12 left. At that point, the Warriors only had four points to the Cavaliers’ 14. The lead then continued to change basket by basket for a total of five times and then a sixth after free throws interrupted the pattern.
Golden State then held the lead the rest of the game after the 47-43 score with 4:36 left (Andre Iguodala hit a three). Curry had eight points with the help of two three’s and Cleveland missed three free throws.
By the end of the second, both teams had scored 27 points apiece, canceling out any advantage for the Cavaliers.
In the third, Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson inadvertently helped with the Warriors’ then game-high 17 point lead, 67-52, when he put in a bucket for them. The points were credited to JaVale McGee.
When James made a free throw, the third score after (49-47), that would be the closest the Cavaliers ever got anymore.
Both teams’ field goal and three point shooting went down in the third but Golden State’s first bucket of the third, a Thompson jumper, would mark a double-digit lead for the rest of the game. Cleveland only scored 13 points in the quarter and the Warriors lead reached 21 points at the end.
Golden State’s lead’s largest margin would end at 28 points and occurred with 6:19 left, courtesy of Curry (102-74).
Game Notes: The last time the NBA Finals saw a sweep was in 2007, when James and the Cavs were the victims again. The Warriors finished a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line. Durant also had a a game-high-tying three blocks. Golden State will celebrate with their fans in person Tuesday at 11 am PDT.
Aces fall 95-90 to Sky in Chicago
Photo credit: Las Vegas Aces
By Shawn McCullough
The Aces led by as many as 15 points, but got hurt by foul trouble into the second half as the Chicago Sky beat the Aces 95-90 at Wintrust Arena on Sunday night.
Dearica Hamby scored a career high 24 points to lead the Aces, while A’ja Wilson dropped 22 points with five rebounds.
The Sky dominated the boards, outrebounding the Aces 40-27, including 12 offensive rebounds.
With the loss, the Aces dropped to 1-5 on the season.
The Aces will next return home to play the Atlanta Dream on Friday, June 8th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. This will be the first meeting of the season between the Aces and the Dream.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 12 Nia Coffey
C – 3 Kelsey Bone
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 15 Lindsay Allen
Aces win first game of the season; beat Mystics 85-73
Photo credit: Shawn McCullough, Sports Radio Service
By Shawn McCullough
LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Aces won their first game in franchise history with an 85-73 victory over the Washington Mystics at the Mandalay Bay Event Center Friday night.
“This is very important that we get our first win,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “You want to get rid of the monkey as fast as possible in any sport. Overall, it was a very important win for us.”
It’s tough winning in this league, so for us to finally to get a win is exciting for us,” said forward A’ja Wilson. “I am glad that we got it at home so the fans can continue to come out and support us.”
Five different Aces scored in double digits including Wilson who had 26 points and 12 rebounds. Wilson went to the free throw line 18 times, making 14 shots.
“It can’t take just one or two people, it takes the team,” said Wilson. “I’m super-duper excited to see that we are all getting the ball, everyone is kind of scoring and sharing the basketball.”
After giving up an average of 103 points in their last two games, the Aces held the Mystics to just 73 points. Prior to tonight’s game, the Mystics averaged 86.67 points per game.
“We really didn’t play defense well (the last two games) the way that we know that our system operates, so we needed to come out with a mindset and say that we weren’t going to let that happen again,” said Wilson.
With the win, the Aces improved to 1-4 on the season.
The Aces will next play the Sky in Chicago on Sunday, June 3rd. This will be the first meeting of the season between the Aces and the Sky.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 12 Nia Coffey
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 15 Lindsay Allen
Photo Gallery: Las Vegas Aces vs. Washington Mystics
Aces’ losing streak to 4 games after 101-74 loss to Storm
Photo credit: Seattle Storm
By Shawn McCullough
The Seattle Storm hit a WNBA record 17 3-point shots to rout the Las Vegas Aces 101-74 at KeyArena in Seattle.
A’ja Wilson scored a team-high 21 points with 3 rebounds, while Tamera Young was the only other Aces player scoring in double digits with 11 points.
The Storm went 17 for 26 from 3 point range, breaking the former NBA record for 3 pointers in a game of 16 held by five other teams. The Aces finished the night 1 for 9 from three-point range.
The Aces have now given up 100 or more points in three games this season and in back to back games (both to the Storm).
With the loss, the Aces dropped to 0-4 on the season.
The Aces will next play the Washington Mystics tonight (Friday, June 1st) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The Mystics beat the Aces in Washington, 75-70, back on Tuesday, May 22nd.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 12 Nia Coffey
C – 19 JiSu Park
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 15 Lindsay Allen
Aces drop home opener to Storm 105-98
Photo credit: Shawn McCullough, Sports Radio Service
By Shawn McCullough
The Seattle Storm put a damper on the Aces star-studded inaugural home opener in Las Vegas with a 105-98 win at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
A’ja Wilson scored a career-high 27 points, going 9-17 from the field, along with eight rebounds.
“I really just took what the defense gave me and it just started to work.” said Wilson. “My teammates really kept feeding me the ball and making me make plays.”
Nia Coffey also scored a career-high 23 points.
“Bill (Laimbeer) is clear and direct with what he saw in me and what he needed me to do,” said Coffey. “During our offense, I make sure that I’m doing what I need to do. I take advantage of the moment and take advantage of the match up to really show what I can do for this team.”
The Aces were able to claw back into the game after being down by 19 points early in the third quarter, but they were unable to overcome 18 turnovers.
“Turnovers have been a bugaboo so far this season,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “There were 18 tonight, that’s too many especially in a tight game. We are going to have our growing pains with some young players, but we have to get those (turnovers) down.”
The first regular season game in Las Vegas for the Aces featured a list of celebrity appearances, including Boyz II Men singing the national anthem, Jabbawockeez performing a halftime show, the cast of Michael Jackson ONE greeting fans entering the arena and Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis attending the game.
With the loss, the Aces (formerly the San Antonio Stars) dropped to 0-3 on the season. The Stars started the 2017 season 0-13 before winning their first game of the season 89-82 over Chicago at home on June 30th.
The Aces will next play the Storm in Seattle on Thursday, May 31st before heading back home to face the Washington Mystics on Friday, June 1st at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- 7,662 fans attended the Aces first regular season game in Las Vegas
- The Aces introduced their new mascot named Bucket$, a fuzzy bunny rabbit
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 12 Nia Coffey
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 15 Lindsay Allen
Photo Gallery: Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm
Remember that Mike Leake-Adam Duvall trade from 2015? Oh, yeah.
By Morris Phillips
SAN FRANCISCO–The Cincinnati Reds’ best West Coast roadtrip in seven years came steeped in subtlety, a lot like the Reds’ season to date.
It surely didn’t get its crescendo on Wednesday at AT&T Park. The Reds did just enough good, delivering the game’s biggest hit–former Giant Adam Duvall’s three-run homer in the first inning–then basically starving out the home team from there in 6-3 victory that, yes, capped their road trip, and helped them avoid yet another three-game sweep. But it wasn’t the cathartic release the Cincinnati players enjoyed by sweeping the Dodgers four straight over the weekend.
After a dreadful 8-26 start to the season that dropped the Reds 13 games behind the NL Central-leading Brewers on May 7, they’ve won six of nine.
Matt Harvey, currently the Dark Knight of Southern Ohio, didn’t resurrect his career on Wednesday, but he certainly looked like he’s working on it. The sensation of a few seasons back struck out five of the final six batters he faced, but was lifted after a generally, rough four innings in which gave up seven hits and three runs. Even Harvey admitted afterwards, following Brandon Belt’s home run that trimmed the Reds’ lead to 4-3, he needed to figure something out to get as far as he did.
“I was telling (his batterymate, Tucker Barnhart) after the game that after the home run to Belt, I threw a pitch to Sandoval or whoever followed him, I kind of felt it click. I realized was flying open and wasn’t really getting out front and executing pitches the way I wanted to,” he said.
Harvey followed that realization by striking out Pablo Sandoval, Double A-Richmond callup Miguel Gomez, Kelby Tomlinson, Andrew Suarez and Gregor Blanco in a six-batter sequence. It wasn’t his finest moment, but it did find the Giants’ weakness. San Francisco’s lineup without Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford was exposed as an easier touch. The Giants squandered too many run scoring opportunities, and struck out 10 times, the 15th time they fanned that frequently in 44 games thus far.
The Giants went the final six innings scoreless, while the Reds added on. Three, pretty good Cincinnati relievers–Jared Hughes, workhorse Wandy Peralta and closer Raisel Iglesias shut the door on the Giants despite allowing a collective, five hits and some hair-raising–and controversial (see Ben Leonard’s story)–moments.
The Giants fell back to .500 (22-22) with the loss, somehow getting the least out of eight base hits, three doubles, Belt’s homer and a pair of walks. Pinch-hitter Austin Jackson struck out with a runner at third, and one out, in the sixth. Sandoval hit into an inning-ending double play in the seventh. And Belt, who hit his team-leading ninth homer in the third, struck out with a runner aboard to end the game.
The game’s hero, Duvall was considered the 25th best prospect in the Giants’ system when they dealt him in July 2015 to get Mike Leake from the Reds to bolster their rotation for that season’s stretch drive. Since then, the former University of Louisville first baseman has hit 77 homers and 78 doubles for the Reds while the Giants passed on resigning Leake for the 2016 season. Duvall homered twice in the concluded series, and also came up with a terrific catch, robbing Sandoval of extra bases in the first inning.
“They made a couple of plays there that saved them,” manager Bruce Bochy conceded.
Sports Radio Service 