Category: WNBA

Too Fast, Too Experienced: Taurasi takes over in Mercury’s big 104-93 road win over the Aces

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Photo courtesy of Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal

By Morris Phillips

On the surface, teaming a 36-year old point guard with a 6’8″ back-to-the-basket center, and having them play at the WNBA’s fastest pace seems like a recipe for disaster. But when the names–Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner–are plugged in, it’s readily apparent how the Las Vegas Aces found themselves in a pickle at the Delano Las Vegas on Wednesday night attempting to combat the Phoenix Mercury’s dynamic duo.

While the super-engaged Taurasi dropped 37 points and nine assists, and was ablely assisted by Griner, who added 25 points and 11 rebounds, you could argue that the Mercury’s 104-93 win wasn’t as much about the two stars, but the hypersonic pace employed by Phoenix, that tricked the Aces into rushing shots and committing fouls.

Afterwards, Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer didn’t seem so much focused on which of the factors was most responsible for his Aces’ shortcomings, just that his team didn’t meet the challenge in what was arguably their biggest game to date.

“I though that it was a game that if we came and played with intensity, we could have won,” Laimbeer revealed. “Well, we didn’t play very well across the board.”

With the loss, the Aces (12-14) fell two games behind the Dallas Wings in the race for the eighth and final postseason spot. In order to inch closer to Dallas, the Aces will have to get it done on the road with their next three contests away from the Mandalay Bay Events Center, part of a grueling stretch of nine games in 19 days to end their inaugural season in Las Vegas.

Aced That Test: Vegas holds on at Minnesota, their first win over the Lynx since 2014

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Photo courtesy of Aaron Lavinsky/Minneapolis Star Tribune

By Morris Phillips

MINNEAPOLIS — The growth process of the Las Vegas Aces reached a significant milestone on Friday night.

Winning at the Target Center–in front of the WNBA’s best home crowd–and maintaining a lead throughout the fourth quarter when as many things went wrong as went right, said as much as beating the four-time champions for the first time since the 2014 playoffs.

Coach Bill Laimbeer wasn’t in the mood to organize a parade in celebration of the 85-77 win–part of a first-ever, four-game win streak for the Aces. But the veteran coach liked what he saw.

“We’re getting better. No question about that. We’re playing hard every game. We have some horses that we can go to. Now we have to get more pieces, and our bench players to be a little bit more consistent, and I think we’re making good progress,” Laimbeer said.

Kayla McBride led the Aces with 24 points, but McBride was just one of five Aces to score in double figures. While the Aces’ stars–McBride, Kelsey Plum and rookie, No. 1 overall pick A’ja Wilson–led the way, they had plenty of help. Front court reserve Carolyn Swords played 28 minutes off the bench, leading the committee that put the clamps on 6’6″ Sylvia Fowles. And Tamera Young converted consecutive baskets that gave the Aces their biggest lead, 72-64 with 8:58 remaining.

“To beat a great team like Minnesota you have to have everybody kind of involved,” McBride said. “It’s not just going to be one or two players that can beat them because they are so good and experienced. I thought it was a great win for us, especially on the road.”

After starting the season 1-7, the Stars have won nine of 14. The Aces are in the playoff hunt at 10-12 with their eyes focused on the Lynx (12-9), the team currently occupying the sixth and final playoff spot. In between the Lynx and Aces, seventh-place Dallas and eight-place Atlanta will have to be reckoned with as well. But on Friday, the Aces dealt with the Lynx, a team that had beaten them in 19 of the previous 20 meetings dating back to their days in San Antonio.

“I’ve been a part of those,” McBride said of the 19 losses. “Coach did mention that. The only win that we had I think was in the playoffs my rookie year we won like one of them in a three-game series.”

The Lynx fell to 6-4 at home, uncharacteristic for a team that won 103 of 119 at the Target Center between 2011 and 2017, the period of their four WNBA titles. Are they older and losing effectiveness? Sure, seven of the 12 players on their roster are over 30, including rookie Endy Miyem from France. But the Lynx fight the aging process vigorously, and they did so again on Friday. 36-year old Lindsay Whalen looked like fine wine in posting a team-best 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. And 34-year old Simone Augustus followed suit with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

But in key stretches, the Lynx offense appeared stagnant. Minnesota also failed to get Fowles untracked (2-of-9 shooting, 7 points), and got beat on the glass (Aces’ 42-36 rebounding advantage). But most significantly, leading scorer Maya Moore struggled, missing 10 of her 15 shot attempts.

“Vegas was good. For sure, they were really good on offense. They converted right at us (off) makes and misses. Their complete identity, they got to play to it.  On both sides of it. Their complete identity, and that’s disappointing,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve admitted.

The Aces host the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday afternoon at 3 pm PDT at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Aces beat Sparks 94-78 Friday night to knock LA out of first place

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
ACES Drive Lane
The Aces won by driving to the basket and taking mid-range shots Photo: @LVAces

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The 10th place Las Vegas Aces played like World Champions on Friday night as they shocked the league-leading Los Angeles Sparks with an offensive barrage that led the underdogs to an impressive 94-78 victory on their home court. The Las Vegas (6-11) win not only surprised the Sparks — it knocked Los Angeles out of first place in the WNBA into a tie for second place.

The Sparks (11-5) are a team that has feasted on their opponents at home in LA. They own a 7-1 record at home, but entered the contest on Friday night with a road record of 4-3. The Aces knew about that road record and wanted to take advantage of it.

There was only one lead change in the game. The Sparks jumped out to an early lead, but the Aces kept chipping away at that lead until they erased it. The Aces’ Kayla McBride hit a 3-point basket with 2:05 remaining in the first quarter to give Las Vegas a 16-15 lead. The Aces would never trail the Sparks again in the game.

A’ja Wilson led the scoring attack for the Aces. She put up 29 points shooting 50 percent (10-for-20) from the field and converting 9-of-11 (81.8 percent) opportunities from the free throw line. Wilson also grabbed nine rebounds, added four assists and made three steals in her 35-plus minutes of playing time.

Las Vegas point guard Kelsey Plum came up big for her team, scoring 14 points while hauling in nine rebounds to go with five assists. She did not commit a turnover while going a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Plum was also the Aces’ leading 3-point shooter who hit 2-of-3 attempts from downtown.

ACES Hamby
Dearica Hamby was very effective coming off the bench for the Aces Photo: @LVAces

Dearica Hamby was productive coming off the bench for Las Vegas. She scored 13 points, had four rebounds, dished out five assists, made two steals and blocked a shot in her 25 minutes on the floor.

Kayla McBride scored 12 points, recorded seven rebounds and had three assists. Tamara Young put up five points and had five rebounds.

The Aces shot 51.6 percent (33-for-64) for the game and hit 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from behind the arc. Las Vegas went to the free throw line 31 times and converted 23 of those chances.

Las Vegas also had to be proud of their defense in their big win. They held the Sparks to just 39.7 percent (29-for-73) shooting overall in the game. Los Angeles did excel at 3-point shooting by hitting 13-of-28 (46.4 percent) from long-range, but the Aces defense stopped the Los Angeles mid-range shooting game, which kept them from making a comeback.

The other area that really hurt the Sparks was their inability to get to the free-throw line. They had only 12 chances from the line in the game and made only seven of those opportunities. LA attempted just two free throws in the first half.

ACES LA
Graphic: @LA_Sparks

Chelsea Gray led the Sparks in scoring with 22 points. Essence Carson added 17 points and six rebounds. Odyssey Sims came off the bench to record 11 points for LA.

The Aces will have very little time to savor their victory as they will have to face the Sparks in Los Angeles this Sunday. Remember — the Sparks are 7-1 at home this season.

Tipoff on Sunday is scheduled for 1:00 PM PDT.

Aces lose a hard fought battle, fast paced game at home to Dallas Wings 97-91

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

 

McBride working hard
Kayla McBride had a career night on Wednesday night for the Aces Photo: @LVAces

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings gave the 5,246 fans at the Mandalay Bay Events Center a full 40-minute show on Wednesday night in the desert. There was no quit in either team as they fought back and forth for the lead. There were 18 lead changes in the contest as Dallas prevailed 97-91 at the final buzzer.

The Aces were led by shooting guard Kayla McBride, who put up a game-high and career-high 38 points in the game. She shot 14-for-22 from the floor and hit 2-of-2 from behind the 3-point line. McBride also went to the free throw line nine times and converted eight of her chances at the charity stripe. She also recorded three assists, three rebounds and two steals in the heartbreaking loss on her home court.

AjA working at the rim
A’ja Wilson had a double-double game for the Aces but is was not enough Photo: @LVAces

Forward A’ja Wilson was the other big contributor for the Aces. The potential All-Star dropped 22 points on the Wings and made it a double-double game by grabbing 15 rebounds. Wilson dished out eight assists and went a perfect 8-for-8 for the free throw line.

Both McBride and Wilson played 36-plus minutes for Bill Laimbeer’s Aces in the game.

Diggins-Smith was all over
Diggins-Smith did it all on defense and offense for the Wings in their win Photo: @dallaswings

The Dallas Wings were paced by their point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, who was on the floor from the opening tip to the final buzzer. She scored a team-high 29 points while distributing eight assists. Diggins-Smith shot a blistering 52.9-percent from the floor (9-for-17) and hit 2-of-6 from 3-point land. She also played some tenacious defense.

8 gave fits all game
Cambage was a major factor on the floor for the Wings against the Aces @LVAces

Center Liz Cambage was also a major presence for the Wings on Wednesday night. She recorded a double-double, putting up 17 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Cambage also had three assists and two blocked shots. She also was an intimidating force on defense.

As a team, the Wings had four players score in double-figures. They shot 45.7-percent (32-for-70) overall and hit 10-of-28 from behind the three-point line. The Wings converted 23-of-30 (76.7-percent)  opportunities at the free throw line. The posted 32 team rebounds. Dallas had 20 assists and 11 turnovers meeting that 2-to-1 ratio goal.

The Aces had just the two players in double-figures. As a team, they shot 43.7-percent (31-for-71) from the field. They hit 50-percent of their 3-point attempts, but they attempted only eight shots from long distance. The Aces did have an incredible night at the free throw line as they hit 25-of-27 attempts for a 92.6-percent conversion rate. Las Vegas grabbed 36 rebounds (11 on offense). They recorded 24 assists against 13 turnovers.

“We played hard enough to win,” said coach Bill Laimbeer. “I think we’re a little frustrated by the fact that we can’t get over the hump. But at the same time, it’s our fault because we’re doing the little things wrong.

The loss drops the Aces record to 5-11 (.313) on the season and puts them in 10th place. The victory evens the Wings record at 7-7 (.500) and they are now in seventh place in the league standings.

The Aces will return to action on Friday night when they will host the best team in the WNBA — the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks have an 11-3 record, but are just 4-2 on the road. The Aces need to take advantage of that at home.

The Wings head back to Dallas where they will host the sixth-place Minnesota Lynx (8-6) on Sunday.

Offensive struggles contribute to Aces’ 87-83 loss to Atlanta

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20180608 - A'ja Wilson 05

Photo credit: Shawn McCullough, Sports Radio Service

By Shawn McCullough

The Las Vegas Aces dropped their second straight game in an 87-83 loss to the Atlanta Dream at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Friday.

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 20 points and nine rebounds, while Kayla McBride added 13 points.

The Aces kept the game close until early in the third quarter when the Dream went on a 16-3 run to take control of the game.

Head Coach Bill Laimbeer has been stressing defense throughout the season, but sparking offense was the struggle for the Aces against the Dream.

“We gave up too many offensive rebounds to this team, but overall I think our defense was OK,” said Laimbeer.  “I think our offense is what hurt us today.”

“It was an offensive struggle,” said Wilson.  “I know for myself, my mind was all over the place, but it is something that I can work on and control.”

The Aces will next play four straight games on the road in Phoenix, Indiana, New York and Dallas.

“It’s going to be tough on the road, but if we have our mentality, it really doesn’t matter if we are home or away,” said Wilson.  “Our focus is there and we have to continue to push through.”

With the loss, the Aces dropped to 1-6 on the season.

“We have all of the pieces to the puzzle, it’s just a matter of coming together,” said Wilson.  “We are still young and we are still missing a few players, but we are learning.”

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 game was an early Friday matinee game scheduled at noon Pacific.
  • 5,913 Aces fans attended the game.
  • A’ja Wilson scored in double figures (20) for the seventh straight game.
  • Nia Coffey (ankle) and Moriah Jefferson (knee) did not play due to injury.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 1 Tamera Young
C – 19 JiSu Park
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Aces lose second straight game 75-70

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AcesMystics

Photo credit: Las Vegas Aces

By Shawn McCullough

The Las Vegas Aces jumped out quickly in the game, but later fell in a close 75-70 loss to the Washington Mystics in the nation’s capital.

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Nia Coffey added a career high 14 points.

The Aces jumped out to a 29-13 lead with 4:20 left in the second quarter, but the Mystics chipped away and finally went on an 8-0 run in the third quarter to even the game.

With the loss, the Aces (formerly the San Antonio Stars) dropped to 0-2 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 play their home games this season at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and will play their first regular season home game this Sunday, May 27th against the Seattle Storm.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’j Wilson
F – 1 Tamera Young
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 12 Nia Coffey
G – 15 Lindsay Allen

Aces start the season with 101-65 loss to Connecticut

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2018_5_20LasVegasAcesConnecticutSun133

Photo credit: Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog

By Shawn McCullough

The Las Vegas Aces shot just 26.5% from the field and fell to the Connecticut Sun 101-65 in Uncasville, CT.

Tamera Young led the Aces with 23 points, shooting 7-14 from the field.  Young has a career average of 7.0 points per game over 10 seasons in the WNBA.

A’ja Wilson made her professional debut logging a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds, but struggled again from the field going just 3 for 13.  Wilson was just 4 for 17 from the field in the Aces final pre-season game against Dallas.

The Aces jumped out to an early first quarter lead with a 14-4 run, but lost the lead for good soon after when the Sun went on an 11-2 run.

With the loss, the Aces (formerly the San Antonio Stars) dropped to 0-6 in season openers, last winning their season opener in 2012.

The Aces will play their home games this season at the Mandalay Bay Events Center and will play their first regular season home game on Sunday, May 27th against the Seattle Storm.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’j Wilson
F – 1 Tamera Young
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 12 Nia Coffey
G – 15 Lindsay Allen