cover photo from wnba.com and Shawn McCullough http://www.sportsradioservice.com
Category: WNBA
Aces head into All-Star Break with win over Storm, 79-62
Photo credit: Shawn McCullough/Sports Radio Service
By Shawn McCullough
Getting rest during the All-Star Break could be good for the Aces, but it could be bad with how well they are playing right now.
The Aces have won seven of their last eight games with a 79-62 win over the Seattle Storm at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
“There’s nothing better than going into All-Star break with a win,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “Any time before an All-Star break you never know how it’s going to go. We got it.”
The Aces were led by forward Dearica Hamby with 24 points, who is starting in place of injured forward A’ja Wilson. Liz Cambage recorded her third straight double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
The Aces held the Storm to just 35% from the field and forced 18 turnovers.
“Just playing hard and helping each other out,” said Hamby on their defensive effort. “When we take care of the ball our defense is great.”
The Aces head into the All-Star Break with a 13-6 record and sit atop the WNBA standings.
Three Aces were elected as starters in the All-Star Game: Liz Cambage, Kayla McBride and A’ja Wilson (who will not play due to an ankle injury).
Wilson is an All-Star Game captain along with Washington Mercury’s Elena Delle Donne, who did a school yard draft to set the teams for Saturday’s All-Star Game in Las Vegas.
Wilson drafted Los Angeles Sparks’ Chelsea Gray with her first pick, Aces’ forward Kayla McBride with her second pick and Aces’ center Liz Cambage with her third pick.
“Oh, okay, I see how it is,” said Cambage jokingly on being picked third by Wilson. “She clearly doesn’t love me like I thought she did, so I’m gonna have a heart-to-heart with her. It is what it is. At the end of the day, it’s just All-Star, I don’t actually really care that she chose me third.”
Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer with coach Wilson’s team.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- Liz Cambage scored in double figures for the 50th straight time, which is the longest active streak in the WNBA (15 points).
- All five of the Aces starters scored in double figures, outscoring the Storm starters, 75-43.
- The Aces only got 4 points off the bench.
- Rookie Jackie Young scored a career-high 13 points.
Game Starters:
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
Aces beat Lynx without Wilson, 79-74
Photo credit: Shawn McCullough/Sports Radio Service
By Shawn McCullough
LAS VEGAS–The loss of forward A’ja Wilson to an ankle injury would cripple any other WNBA team, but not the Aces.
Liz Cambage and Kayla McBride combined for 42 points to beat the Minnesota Lynx 79-74 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Cambage finished with her second straight double-double, scoring 22 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
Wilson sprained her ankle on Friday against the Storm in Seattle, but cheered on the team from the bench while on crutches.
With the win, the Aces improved to 12-6 on the season to move into a first place tie with the Connecticut Sun.
The Aces will next host the Seattle Storm on Tuesday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- Liz Cambage scored in double figures for the 48th straight time, which is the longest active streak in the WNBA (22 points).
- The Aces only got 13 points off the bench.
- Guard Sydney Colson left the game in the second half after spraining her left ankle.
- NBA legend Bill Russell was in attendance.
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 on the road to Storm, 69-66
Photo credit: Elaine Thompson/Associated Press
By Shawn McCullough
The Aces rallied from being down eight points at halftime, but fell short 69-66 against the Seattle Storm at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Liz Cambage led the Aces with 16 points and 14 rebounds, while A’ja Wilson added 11.
Las Vegas was plagued by 21 turnovers and shot 41.9% from the field.
The loss snapped a five game winning streak for the Aces which took them to the top of the WNBA standings.
The Aces fell to 11-6 on the season and will next return home to start a three game home stand starting against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- Liz Cambage scored in double figures for the 47th straight time, which is the longest active streak in the WNBA (16 points).
- The Aces got 20 points off the bench.
- The Storm shot just 27.8% from the field.
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
Aces win 5th straight game, 85-81
Photo credit: Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal
By Shawn McCullough
Guard Sydney Colson came off the bench to lead the Aces with 17 points in an 85-81 win over the Mystics in Washington, D.C.
A’ja Wilson also scored 17 points while Kayla McBride put up 16. Liz Cambage scored 13 points while pulling down nine rebounds.
The Aces trailed by 12 points after the first quarter, but rallied back and came out in the second quarter to pull within one point at the half.
The Aces held the Mystics to just 38.9% from the field.
With the win, the Aces improved to 10-5 on the season and will finish a four game road trip on Friday in Seattle against the Storm.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- Liz Cambage scored in double figures for the 46th straight time, which is the longest active streak in the WNBA (13 points).
- The Aces shot 4 for 12 from three-point range.
- The Aces committed 16 turnovers.
- Las Vegas out-rebounded the Mystics 41-33.
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
Aces win in Indianapolis, push their way to the top the WNBA standings
By Morris Phillips
INDIANAPOLIS — Aces’ head coach Bill Laimbeer might be losing sleep, fretting about his team’s slow starts, overall intensity and perimeter scoring, but at least tonight, he’ll experience his insomnia at the top of the WNBA standings.
The Aces pushed their win streak to four by outlasting the Indiana Fever, 74-71, on Wednesday afternoon at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Fever were limited to ten, fourth quarter points, and A’ja Wilson made a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining to give the Aces their final cushion. Las Vegas got the win despite trailing by five after three quarters, and shooting just 36.5 percent from the floor.
“We didn’t play well, but we got the win,” Laimbeer said. “That’s the sign of a good team.”
The Aces fell behind 8-0, failing to score in the game’s first four minutes, then with a slim, 53-50 lead late in the third quarter, they surrendered an 11-1 run to the Fever, in which they suffered their biggest deficit of the afternoon (61-54 with four seconds remaining). While Wilson and Cambage were effective scorers from the free throw line in, the Las Vegas perimeter trio of Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Sugar Rodgers combined to miss 14 of their 21 shots.
Those issues touched on all of Laimbeer’s reoccurring fears that threaten to prevent the Aces from morphing into a WNBA title contender, but on Wednesday, they didn’t prevent the club from snatching a victory. In the final quarter, the defense stiffened, forcing the Fever to miss 13 of their final 17 shots. Rodgers came up with a big three to start the fourth, and Wilson and Cambage provided all the offense down the stretch.
The Fevers’ Candice Dupree had a chance to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, but missed the second of two free throws, and Wilson was fouled after grabbing the rebound. After sinking both free throws, Wilson and the Aces survived when Kelsey Mitchell’s jumper bounced off the rim with a second remaining.
“I thought the defense was solid enough, but we didn’t put ourselves in position to win the basketball game,” Indiana coach Pokey Chatman conceded.
Jake Schuman, a 4-year old from suburban Indianapolis, sang the national anthem, all part of a youthful, matinee crowd announced at 9,247 that may not have been basketball savvy, but was plenty loud. The Fever opened a three-game home stand hoping to capture their biggest win of the season, but came up three points short.
The Aces have won 8 of 10 after a 2-3 start, and in ascending to the top of the league standings, benefitted from the suspension of their home game against the Mystics, in which they trailed by double digits at the half. The remainder of that game has yet to be rescheduled, but in its absence, the Aces, at least for now, are on top.
“It’s been a really, long time since we’ve been in first place in anything,” Kayla McBride said. “But I feel like we’re really jelling as a team.”
Aces pound Liberty behind McBride and Cambage, 90-58
Photo credit: Las Vegas Aces
By Shawn McCullough
The Aces won their third straight game with a 90-58 victory over the New York Liberty at Westchester County Center.
Kayla McBride led the Aces with 24 points while hitting five of seven from three-point range. Liz Cambage added 21 with 11 rebounds.
The Aces held the Liberty to just 29.7% from the field as defense was their primary focus against New York.
“We talked about defensive intensity, something we have been lacking the last three games,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “Tonight was defensive and that was the game plan.”
“We wanted to come out and set the tone on defense first, and let our offense take over,” said McBride. “I thought we all did a great job across the board from the bench to the starters. We came in with the mindset that we are going to get stops on defense and win this game.”
With the win, the Aces improved to 9-5 on the season and moved into a 2nd place tie with the Connecticut Sun heading into Wednesday’s game in Indiana against the Fever.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- Liz Cambage scored in double figures for the 45th straight time, which is the longest active streak in the WNBA (season-high 21 points).
- The Aces outscored the Liberty 42-28 in points in the paint.
- The Liberty committed 19 turnovers.
- Only 1, 971 fans attended 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-Mystics game suspended at halftime due to earthquake
Photo credit: Sports Radio Service/Shawn McCullough
By Shawn McCullough
LAS VEGAS–A 7.1 earthquake centered in Ridgecrest, CA also shook Las Vegas, NV. 226 miles away!
As a result, the WNBA suspended the Aces-Mystics game at halftime as a precautionary measure in case of a shifted or damaged floor. The Mystic led the Aces 51-36 at halftime when the game was suspended.
Liz Cambage led the Aces with 12 points while A’ja Wilson had nine.
The game will be resumed at a later date.
The Aces will next travel to New York to face the Liberty on Sunday.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
Aces grind out win over Sky, 90-82
Photo credit: Sports Radio Service/Shawn McCullough
By Shawn McCullough
The Aces won their fourth game in their last five with a 90-82 victory over the Chicago Sky at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
“Grind out win. That’s what today was, was a grinded out game,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “Our defense was not there for two-thirds of the game but it happens that way sometimes. Our offense was able to carry the day.”
The Aces got balanced scoring with five players scoring 14 or more points led by Kayla McBride, A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage with 16.
“That’s the big thing with our team, we have so many weapons on our offensive end. We can do it in so many different ways,” said McBride. “It comes from so many different places and that’s the dynamic of our team.”
The Aces shot 53.7% from the field and 5 for 7 from three point range.
“We score off of our defense and transitions, and we also just score off of the weapons we have on the offensive end,” said McBride. “I thought it was a great team effort.”
With the win, the Aces improved to 8-5 on the season heading into a third straight home game on Friday against the Washington Mystics at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- The game tipped off at noon.
- It was “Camp Day” at the game where summer camps are invited to attend an Aces day-game matchup.
- Liz Cambage extended her streak of double-digit scoring efforts to 44 games (16 points). That is the longest active streak in the WNBA.
- Las Vegas outscored Chicago 54-30 in the paint.
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
Aces fight back to beat Indiana in overtime, 102-97
Photo credit: Sports Radio Service/Shawn McCullough
By Shawn McCullough
The Aces trailed by as many as eight points, but rallied to force overtime and got 12 point from Liz Cambage in the extra time for a 102-97 win over the Indiana Fever at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
“I thought we played a decent basketball game,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “I thought Indiana played phenomenal. They came in with nothing to lose and raised up from all over the court and made shots and led most of the game. Give them a lot of credit for that.”
A’ja Wilson scored a career high 39 points, shooting 14 for 20 from the field while playing just over 40 minutes.
“I kind of get into this zone and this place where I can’t feel anything I just know that I have to score this basketball, I have to produce for my team,” said Wilson.
Cambage struggled throughout the night but stepped up big in overtime.
“I just played horribly tonight until overtime,” said Cambage. “I just came out to play [in OT]. Maybe it’s pressure, I don’t know what it is, but I need to get it together and work it out.”
With the win, the Aces improved to 7-5 on the season heading into a game on Tuesday at noon against the Chicago Sky at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com
Game Notes:
- The Aces out-rebounded Indiana 50-32.
- The Fever shot 13 for 24 from three point range.
- The Aces shot 48.1% from the field.
- It was PRIDE night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center with 4,581 in attendance.
Game Starters:
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
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