Category: WNBA

Aces Win First Game With Fever 86-75; Vegas-Indiana tip off Friday for game 2

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The Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) takes a jump shot against the Indiana Fevers guard Caitlin Clark (22) and forward Aliyah Boston (7) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Wed Sep 11, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

With A’Ja Wilson back on the court the Las Vegas Aces (22-13) had the resources needed to beat a tough Indiana Fever team(19-17) 86-75 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. This is the first of two games with the Fever, the second to be played Friday night also in Indiana. Wilson finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds for a double double despite not being at 100 percent.

It is no secret how well the Indiana Fever have been playing and this will really test the Aces. Caitlin Clark has been playing some really nice ball averaging over 19 points a game. Las Vegas will have to contain her which will be the key to a win over the Fever.

The game was close in the opening quarter and the Aces took a slim 20-18 lead. Las Vegas began to distance themselves in the second quarter leading 30-23 mid-way through the quarter at 5:34. With under a minute left in the half, the Aces had established a 41-32 lead.

At the half, Wilson had scored 12 points with eight rebounds. Alysha Clark and Tiffany Hayes were having a great game off the bench each with nine points in the first half. Both Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young had really slow starts. Young only had two points in the first two quarters and Plum had a single point.

Caitlan Clark had eight points and the high score in the half for Indiana was Kelsey Mitchell with 11 points. There was some star power in attendance with country super-star Darius Rucker taking in the game.

Tyrese Halliburton and Myles Turner were also on hand. Women’s basketball has taken the country by storm and we see celebs across the country supporting this exciting sport that attracts more and more followers with every season. Wednesday night’s game was the 14th sellout at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season.

The Fever came into the third quarter with renewed effort and trailed by a single point mid-way through the quarter 48-49. Las Vegas would push the lead back out leading after three quarters 64-57. This had been an extremely long quarter with the refs going to replay three times in the quarter in fact Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon was called for a technical for arguing with the officials.

The Fever threatened to rally numerous times in the fourth quarter but Las Vegas continued to push the lead back. Indiana was going nowhere and they were playing hard and pulling to within six points at 6:48 72-66.

With the Aces leading 80-73 and 3:20 left on the clock, this game was hardly over. Las Vegas hung in the game and when the dust had settled, the Aces had beaten Indiana by the score of 86-75.

It was a terrific effort from Wilson with 27 points and 12 rebounds for yet another double double and not being at 100 percent. With a day off Thursday the hopes are that she will continue to completely heal heading into the playoffs.

Chelsea Gray finished with 11 points. The Aces had some great work off the bench with Clark scoring 14 points and Hayes with 12. Plum came around in the second half finishing with nine points. They had held Clark to 16 point in this game.

Game notes: Wednesday night the Aces took on the Fever in the first of two back-to-back games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Sunday, the Aces lost a close game to the New York Liberty coming up just short 75-71without their “Ace” A’Ja Wilson who missed the game with an ankle injury.

Wilson had not missed a game in years and while she is not at 100 percent the hopes are that she will be as close as possible going into the playoffs. She did wear a boot on the sidelines on Sunday but her MRI came back clean, great news, and this was just a precaution. It will be good to see her back on the court.

Friday night the Aces will play the Fever one more time with tipoff scheduled for 4:30 PM PT. This first game was very close throughout until the final minutes. Game two could prove to be even tougher.

Fourth Quarter Surge Pushes Aces Past Connecticut 72-67

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Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) takes a finger roll lay up shot against the Connecticut Suns guard Tyasha Harris (52) and center Brianna Jones (42) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre CT on Fri Sep 6, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

When all seemed lost, the Las Vegas Aces (22-12) lit up in the second half and capped it off in the fourth quarter beating the Connecticut Sun (24-10) 72-67. Trailing for most of the game, Las Vegas struggled through the first half of play. A’Ja Wilson finished the game with 20 points but only four rebounds. Kelsey Plum had the team high with 27 points and five rebounds. They did not take the lead until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

Game recap: The first quarter was a back forth game with both teams trading the lead. Plum got a great start in her first game back scoring 12 points. In the final minutes of the opening quarter the Sun started to create a bit of distance leading 22-17 after the first ten minutes of play.

Connecticut was on fire offensively only missing four shots and shooting around 73% from the field. The only negative for the Sun were the six turnovers they committed. Aces Head Coach Becky Hammon was looking for a better offensive effort in the second quarter. Las Vegas was only shooting around 40% from the floor and needed a whole lot more.

As the second quarter got underway, the Sun continued to extend their lead on top of Las Vegas 25-17 7:50 into the second quarter. The Aces were missing far too many shots and were looking for more consistency.

The Sun had begun to miss shots with their proficiency dropping from 73% to 57%. They had opened the door for the Aces but Las Vegas needed to start making shots and they just were not coming.

So far in this game, the Aces did not look very hungry at all. The only Ace on the floor that was having any success was Plum with 12 points four minutes into the quarter as the Sun continued to hit shots leading 29-20 at 6:25.

At the half the Sun had taken a significant lead 38-26. It was a rough first half for the Aces getting outplayed from the field, from downtown with too many fouls and nine turnovers. Young came up empty in the first half, Chelsea Gray had only two points and Wilson had been contained only scoring five points.

Las Vegas had to turn this game around and that is exactly what they did in the early going of the third quarter erasing the Sun’s lead from 38-26 to five points 40-35. Known for being a second half team Wilson got going and Plum continued hitting shots.

If Young got her game on task, she very well could be the deciding factor in this game. As the third quarter began to wind down the Aces trailed by a single point 45-44 which prompted a Connecticut time-out.

After the break the Sun pushed their lead back out to 50-44 and it was Las Vegas that called a time out looking to put a stop to the Connecticut surge. The Sun would take a 52-49 lead into the fourth quarter. Las Vegas had won the third quarter 23-14 in a real turnaround.

Connecticut established a 56-49 lead in the opening minutes of the fourth. The Aces had to pull out all the stops if they were to win their fourth game in a row. Every time the Aces made a move, the Sun countered.

Las Vegas was finally able to take the lead with 58 ticks left on the clock. Gray hit a 25-foot three point jumper and the Aces had a 71-67 lead with 5.4 seconds left in the game. The Las Vegas Aces had turned this game around chipping away at the Sun’s lead until they broke through for the 72-67 win, their fourth win in a row.

When all looked lost, the Las Vegas found their way and their will to win. Wilson finished with 20 points and Plum had the team high with 27 points. Gray had 13 points.

Game notes: The Aces have won four straight games after their victory over the Sun Friday night 72-67. Tuesday night they handed the Chicago Sky their seventh straight loss in a row 90-71. Friday night they took on some real muscle in the Sun handing the Sun their 11th loss of the season.

Plum was back on the starting roster after dealing with a sore ankle. You would have never know Plum had suffered an ankle injury as she got airborne with some of jump shots and leading the Aces in scoring with 27. The Sun right now are in second place in the WNBA and the Aces fought hard for this game. Las Vegas picks up another road win at Mohegan Sun Arena at Wilkes-Barre Township.

This Sunday afternoon, the Aces will meet the New York Liberty at Barclays Center in Brooklyn with tipoff scheduled for 1:00PM. The Liberty are the number one team in the WNBA but the Aces will be riding high after beating the Sun and will be up for the challenge.

Aces Win Third In a Row Beating Chicago Sky 90-71

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Las Vegas Aces Center A’ja Wilson (22) takes a shot while getting fouled by the Chicago Sky’s Kamilla Cardoso (10) in second half action at T Mobile Center in Las Vegas on Tue Sep 3, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (21-12) won their third game in a row beating the Chicago Sky (11-22) 90-71 Tuesday night at T Mobile Center. The Aces won the second quarter 30-18 but barely squeaked by in the third and fourth quarters.

The Aces actually won every quarter in this game. A’Ja Wilson booked another double double with 30 points and 14 rebounds. The Aces are really in playoff mode right now but face upcoming games this weekend against the two best teams in the WNBA. They will take on the Connecticut Sun Friday and on Sunday they will face the New York Liberty with both games on the road.

Game recap: The Aces were off to the races in the first half of play. They won the opening quarter 17-13 and continued to push the lead leading at the half 47-31. They had won the second quarter convincingly 30-18.

After three quarters, the Aces continued to lead 68-51. The finish of the third quarter was wild with some untimely turnovers and fouls by Chicago. Las Vegas took the 17 point lead into the fourth quarter, ten minutes away from their third win in a row.

After the first three quarters the ever consistent A’Ja Wilson already had a double double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. She has put her team in playoff contention and she needs her team to respond as she has and tonight that is exactly what they did.

With 3:41, the Sky had pulled to within ten points pushing the Aces to their limits. With under three minutes left in the game, the Aces had pushed their lead back out to 14 points, 82-68.

With the Sky trailing by a significant margin and time running out, they were forced to take shots they might normally not take. Chicago suffered turnovers that totaled 13 to the Aces 5. Las Vegas had outplayed them in the fourth winning this game 90-71.

The Aces are really zoned into playoff mode; they have a real playoff vibe lately as this season begins to wind down. They are really starting to click and that will be put to the test on this upcoming road trip.

They will be challenged in their next two road games taking on the first and second ranked teams; the Connecticut Sun and the leagues’ number one New York Liberty. They are stringing wins together now showing some greatly improved effort and they will be ready for this challenge.

A’Ja Wilson finished this game with another double double with 30 points and 14 rebounds. Tiffany Hayes had 20 points and Jackie Young chipped in 15 with six rebounds. Angel Reese had a double double for the Sky with 12 points and 16 rebounds.

Game notes: Tuesday night the Aces were back at home in Las Vegas taking on the Sky with tipoff taking place at T-Mobile Arena a change in venue to accommodate the multitude of fans wishing to take in the game.

The growing popularity of women’s basketball across the nation has forced other teams to also find larger venues. Tuesday night the Aces extended their two-game winning streak to three. The Aces seems to be peaking at just the right time and despite the fact that Kelsey Plum was out for Tuesday night’s game this team was focused and on course, and was poised to win.

Friday the Aces will travel to Connecticut to take on league’s #2 overall the Sun. The Sun fell to the Storm Tuesday afternoon and they were at Mohegan Sun Arena the Suns’ home court so they will be looking to get back on track while the Aces will be looking for a fourth win in a row. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Aces Dominate In Second Win In a Row Over Phoenix Mercury 97-79

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The Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) looks to take a shot against the Phoenix Mercury’s guard Natasha Cloud (0) at the Footprint Center in Phoenix (photo by the Las Vegas Aces)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (20-12) put this game on ice early in fact it was in the first quarter. They won that quarter 29-10 and went on to win the second quarter extending their lead 51-28 at the half.

A’Ja Wilson had another double double with an amazing 17 rebounds and 41 points. Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young both had double digits. The Phoenix Mercury (16-16) did come out on top in the third quarter 31-24 but it was far too little, far too late.

The Aces practically put this game on ice by the end of the first quarter leading 29-10. They extended their by the half leading 51-28. A’Ja Wilson was on a scorcher playing some extraordinary basketball that was just stunning.

The Mercury rallied in the third quarter winning it by the score of 31-24 but the first half sealed the win for the Aces. The fourth quarter was won by the Aces but by only a single point. The final was 97-79 Sunday afternoon in Phoenix.

This was a dominating win for Las Vegas. A’Ja Wilson finished with 17 rebounds and 41 points. This was the second time in the past three games that Wilson exceeded 40 points. Kelsey Plum had a nice game with 16 points and Jackie Young finished with 11 points, six rebounds and a career high 14 assists. Tiffany Hayes was terrific off the bench with 11 points and five rebounds.

Brittany Griner was the high score for the Mercury with 24 points. Sophie Cunningham made four of six from three point range finishing with 16 points.

The Mercury got a very slow start in this game and the Aces jumped over them in the first quarter. Phoenix missed their first six shots and committed three turnovers setting the pace for the game. After the first quarter came to an end with Las Vegas leading 29-10 the Aces would lead by double digits for the rest of the game.

Game recap: The Aces got back on the winning track last Friday night beating the Atlanta Dream 83-72. Sunday the Aces took on the Mercury and picked up their second win in a row and even more importantly are now fourth place and 3.5 games behind the third place Minnesota Lynx in standings where they are currently tied with the Seattle Storm who are in fifth place.

With the Ace’s win and Seattle’s loss to Connecticut Sun on Sunday the Aces take over fourth place knocking the Storm into fifth place. With the season rapidly heading towards the post-season every game is critical, every win is a must. It will be tough going getting ahead of the Lynx who currently hold first place in the Western Conference and third place overall.

The Aces are now in fourth place in the overall standings with the Storm losing to the Sun 93-86 and dropping into fifth place. With only eight games left in the regular season it is crunch time for every team. Next up for Las Vegas will be the Chicago Sky Tuesday that will be played in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena. The Aces moved venues from Michelob ULTRA Arena to T Mobile due to the high demand for this upcoming game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT.

Aces Back On Winning Track Getting Past Dream 83-72

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Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes (15) drives on the Atlanta Dream at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Aug 30. 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Atlanta Dream got close numerous times throughout the game but the Las Vegas Aces hung tight winning the game 83-72. A’Ja Wilson had another stellar game with 15 rebounds and 26 points. Tiffany Hayes also had a terrific game with 10 rebounds and 20 points. Kelsey Plum chipped in 16 points.

Game recap: The Aces won both the first and the second quarters of this game. They led after the first ten minutes of play 22-18. The Dream played a very competitive second quarter although the Aces did win it 22-20.

Las Vegas led at halftime 44-38 and going into the second half of play this game was hardly decided. The Aces have in the past really turned it on in the second half, especially the fourth quarter although it did not go their way in their last game against the Wings. They were looking to close out this game in the second half.

Atlanta continued to fight hard in the third quarter and got as close as four points in the early minutes of the quarter. The Dream kept challenging throughout the quarter but the Aces stubbornly hung onto the lead and after three quarters had a 65-58 lead. A’Ja Wilson already had a double double with 13 rebounds and 20 points.

At 6:34 in the fourth quarter, the Aces had established a 73-64 lead. Atlanta called a time out when Las Vegas began to extend their lead and showed no signs of letting down. The Dream had a lot of work to do with little time left in the game. With 2:11 left in the game, the Aces were distancing themselves from the Dream leading 79-67. Las Vegas closed out this game winning by the score of 83-72.

The high for the Dream was Allisha Gray who finished with nine rebounds and 17 points. They had three players in double digits but they could not match A’Ja Wilson and company.

Game notes: After a disappointing loss to the Dallas Wings Tuesday night in a tight game 93-90, the Las Vegas Aces were looking to bounce back Friday night against the Dream. The Aces are currently fighting to move up in the standings; they are in fifth place right now. They are a half game behind the fourth place Seattle Storm. The Storm were defeated by the New York Liberty Friday night 98-85 allowing to the Aces to move within a half game on the Storm.

Sunday the Aces will take on the Mercury in Phoenix. The Mercury will be a tough game for the Aces. They come in with a 16-16 record and could really cause some problems for the Aces. The Aces are still not playing their best ball yet although they did play a better game Friday night. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

Aces Shocked By Dallas Losing 93-90; Vegas suffers fourth loss in last five games

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The Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings tip off at College Park Center in Arlington TX on Tue Aug 27, 2024 in WNBA action (Las Vegas Aces X photo)

By Barbara Mason

This game came as a real shocker for the Las Vegas Aces as they fell to the Dallas Wings Tuesday night 93-90. The Aces got on top early 25-18 in the first quarter but fell flat in the fourth quarter as Dallas won that quarter 32-21.

A’Ja Wilson was on fire scoring 42 points and so it is a real conundrum. Jackie Young finished with 17 and Chelsea Gray with 15. There were 11 ties in this game and so it came down to rebounding and Dallas came out the winner in that department out-rebounding the Aces 40-26.

The Las Vegas Aces (18-12) have been a bit off since the season got back underway since the Olympics. They have lost four of their last five games. Tuesday night they took on the (8-22) Dallas Wings who were looking to get back to the excellence that they were playing with prior to going overseas. There are so many teams that are peaking right now with the Liberty, the Sun and the Lynx all securing playoff positions.

The Lynx are playing crazy good basketball right now. The Aces can ill afford to lose any more winnable games. They have to turn things around and they have to do it right now and the four out of the last five loses is cause for concern.

Game recap: Las Vegas got off to a great start in the opening quarter leading 25-18 and although they did lose the second quarter 17-19 they did take a five point lead into the locker room at the half 42-37. They have been a great second half team especially in the fourth quarter.

They did come out on top in the third quarter 27-24 and went into the fourth quarter leading by eight points 69-61. This is the quarter when this team usually comes out guns a blazing but not this time. They finished this game with a whimper losing 93-90 in a real shocker. They have now lost 4 of their last six games. With the season starting to wind down they have to fight for every game going forward.

A’Ja Wilson continues to play some amazing ball scoring 42 in this game. She is ranked 1st in points, 2nd in rebounds, 1st in defensive rebounds, 1st in blocks, and 3rd in steals. This was her third 40 point game of her career.

Despite her performance, the team was unable to pull this game out. The Aces played pretty evenly with Dallas when it came down to field goals, three point plays and they only had eight turnovers.

They came up horribly short in rebounding. The Wings had 40 and the Aces only 26; quite a disparity. With Wilson going off the way she did it’s hard to believe that the team came away with a loss. Late fouls and far too many misses sealed the Las Vegas’ fate.

Dallas got some great play from scoring leader Satou Sabally with 28 points and Natasha Howard added 24 points in the winning effort.

Friday night the Las Vegas Aces will play another winnable game as they take on the Atlanta Dream. They will be back home at Michelob ULTRA Arena for this game with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Aces Get Outplayed by Minnesota Lynx In Second Half Losing 87-74

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Las Vegas Aces forward Alysha Clark (7) looks to pass the ball against the Minnesota Lynx at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Fri Aug 23, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces.com photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (17-11) were tied with the Minnesota Lynx (21-8) after the first quarter and trailed by a single point at the half 40-39 but were outplayed by Minnesota in the second half. They got within four points in the fourth quarter but the Lynx refused to back down continuing to hit shots from downtown. It was raining three’s for the Lynx and Nephessa Collier set a career high 18 rebounds. They proved to hot to handle for the Aces as the Lynx went on to win the game 87-74.

Game recap: After the first ten minutes of play this game was tied at 18 apiece. The Lynx rallied in the second quarter taking a 31-24 lead on the strength of their shooting ability from downtown.

They really have a talent for spreading the floor forcing the Aces to leave opponents open to shoot those long balls that are so successful for Minnesota. As the second quarter began to wind down, the Aces had taken a 35-31 lead.

Minnesota took back the lead and at the half the score was 40-39; and Nephessa Collier had her 14th double double with ten rebounds and 15 points. She was the only player from either team in double digits.

The Aces were still waiting on Jackie Young to get going after a huge game last Wednesday night in which she scored 26 points. Las Vegas would need a huge game from all of their starters if they hoped to pull this game out.

Minnesota wasted no time in the third quarter pulling a 46-41 lead early and they did not stop there. They were completely dominating the quarter taking a 62-45 lead with two minutes left in the third. Minnesota’s Nephessa Collier continued to dominate going 9 of 11 from the floor and the Aces could not stop her.

Collier already had 16 rebounds while the Aces only had 13 collectively. Las Vegas was losing on both ends of the ball. As the third quarter came to an end, the Aces were trailing by eleven points 65-54, after having trailed by as much as 17 points.

Las Vegas had a huge mountain to climb going into the fourth quarter. They have already fallen into 5th place in the league standings and they don’t want to lose more ground with a loss Friday night.

Minnesota had outscored the Aces in the third quarter 25-15. Las Vegas was making some uncharacteristic mistakes born of the frustration that they were all feeling. The Aces continued to fight playing some very physical and aggressive basketball only trailing by five points 67-62 with a lot of time still left on the clock.

With over six minutes left in the game a door had opened for Las Vegas. The Aces continued to leave wide open shots from downtown for the Lynx and watched their four point deficit grow.

Mid-way through the final quarter Minnesota had hit eight shots from downtown and the Lynx had pushed back their lead to nine points 76-67 after Las Vegas had pulled to within four points. With 3:45 left in the game, the Aces were running out of time. The Aces could not handle the offensive onslaught of the Lynx as they continued to dominate losing to Minnesota 87-74.

A’Ja Wilson was the high for the Aces with 24 points but she could not will her team to a win. Jackie Young did have double digits with 12 points but her team needed a whole lot more. Kelsey Plum had 11 but again it was just not enough. Right now it really looks like Minnesota is the team to beat this season.

Game notes: Wednesday night the Las Vegas Aces (17-11) lost to the Minnesota Lynx (21-8) in game one of their back to back games. Friday night, the Aces were looking for a little payback again taking on Minnesota. The only problem is that Las Vegas lost at home and tonight they were playing in Minnesota. It was very tough play calling as the Lynx and their fans base at Target Center were quite vocal.

The Aces will play another road game on Sunday taking on the Chicago Sky. The Sky come into this game after a tough two point loss to the Connecticut Sun 82-80 Friday night. Las Vegas will be looking to get back on the winning track after dropping their last two games.

Aces can’t gain on third place Minnesota, lose to Lynx 98-87

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Aces guard Jackie Young (0) during pre-game of a WNBA basketball game on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Sports Radio Service/Shawn McCullough)

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces fell to 2.5 games back of third place Minnesota in a 98-87 loss to the Lynx at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“Some of our big studs were not grinding tonight,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “We made so many mistakes and it was my big dogs.”

Guard Jackie Young led the Aces with 26 points, going six for eight from three-point range.

“I think we just have to do a better job executing the game plan and not making as many mistakes,” said Young.

Kelsey Plum scored 20 points, while A’ja Wilson added 15 points and nine rebounds.

“They shot 60% from the field and they made us pay,” said Plum. “They were better than us tonight.”

The WNBA is coming off a break for the 2024 Olympics, but six Aces players traveled, played in France and didn’t have any time off.

“There is a point in the season where it becomes mental,” said Plum. “Obviously people have had a month off, but six of us haven’t.”

With the loss, Las Vegas fell to 17-10 on the season.

The Aces will head out on a three-game road trip starting in Minnesota on Friday against the same Lynx team.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Lynx shot 59.4% from the field.
Las Vegas went 13 for 30 from three-point range.
The Aces were outrebounded by the Lynx, 31-28.

Game Starters:

C – 41 Kiah Stokes
F – 0 Jackie Young
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

Las Vegas Aces Return to Form Beating Los Angeles Sparks 87-71

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The Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (50) gets her shot blocked by the Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sun Aug 18, 2024 (photo by Las Vegas Aces)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (17-9) struggled through the first quarter against the Los Angeles Sparks (6-21) but began to turn it all around in the second quarter. It was full speed ahead as the fourth quarter wore on as A’Ja Wilson and the Aces put the hurt on the Sparks. Wilson celebrated another double double finishing with 13 rebounds and 34 points.

Game recap: Her focus was to slow down the Sparks and she was more than convincing getting stop after stop. They had really turned yesterday’s loss around playing some solid ball in today’s game particularly on the defensive side of the ball.

Las Vegas just could not get on top of this game in the first quarter and the game was tied after the first ten minutes of play at 21. The Aces started to turn it around in the second quarter taking a 44-37 lead at halftime winning the second 23-16.

Las Vegas has been typically a second half team and they did win the third quarter 20-16 extending their lead 64-52. They had really turned this game around with discipline and tenacity something they had been lacking against New York Saturday.

The Aces were dominating from beyond the arc and A’Ja Wilson kept this game in hand in the paint making her presence known throughout the game and with less than six minutes left in the game had yet another double double with 11 rebounds and 27 points.

She was all over the court keeping this game in check. The fourth quarter saw Las Vegas take a stranglehold on the game and while the Sparks continued to fight, the Aces refused to let their foot off the pedal. Any move that Los Angeles made was answered by Las Vegas throughout the fourth quarter and with less than three minutes left in the game the Aces had an 82-68 lead. The final was 87-71.

It was a frustrating loss for the Sparks who managed the game fairly well in the first half but came apart in the second particularly in the final minutes of the game. Las Vegas surged in those final minutes and there was no stopping them. A’Ja Wilson finished with 13 rebounds and 34 points. Kelsey Plum had 18 points and Jackie Young had an improved game with ten points although we have seen a lot more from her and that is yet to come.

Game notes: After a loss Saturday to the Liberty, a pretty convincing Liberty win 79-67, the Aces turned around and beat the Sparks at Michelob ULTRA Arena Sunday afternoon. The Aces got back into the form that they had just prior to heading over to Paris for the Olympics. Saturday’s loss was tough, the team was just out of sync. The Aces had a slow start to the season but had really turned it on after the first few weeks of the season really amping it up playing some impressive basketball.

Wednesday evening the Aces will have their hands full with back to back games against the Minnesota Lynx the first game in Las Vegas and the second game Friday night in Minnesota. Las Vegas winning those games could shake up the standings at bit although there is still a lot of basketball still to be played.

This will be a challenging assignment for the Aces and they will need all hands on deck. There is no doubt they have the talent to pull this off. It all begins this Wednesday evening as the series gets underway with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 PM. This game will air on ESPN.

Aces Fall to WNBA Number One New York Liberty 79-67

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The Las Vegas Aces Guard Jackie Young (0) takes the ball down the floor against the New York Liberty’s guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sat Aug 17, 2024 (photo by the Las Vegas Aces)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (16-9) took on the New York Liberty (23-4), returning for their first league game since the Paris Olympics. They had a great start but they could not sustain that momentum. The Liberty went on to win the next three quarters after dropping the opening quarter 28-24. A’Ja Wilson had another terrific game with a double double finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds but it was just not enough to get past New York losing 79-67 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Game recap: Las Vegas got a nice start winning the opening quarter and leading 28-24 after the first ten minutes. The Liberty came roaring back punishing the Aces 18-8 in the second quarter taking a 42-36 lead into the locker room at the half.

The Aces struggled with far too many turnovers in the first half committing six in the second quarter alone and they really fell short rebounding. The Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu went on a crazy run which accounted for the success that the Liberty had not only in the second quarter but in the remainder of the game.. The Aces had some work to do in the second half.

Las Vegas got close in the third quarter trailing by as little as two points but were never able to take the lead. After three quarters, the Aces still trailed 59-51 as the Liberty continued to flex their muscle. Las Vegas needed the physicality and tenacity that they had in the first quarter if there was any chance to win this game. Las Vegas has been a fourth quarter team this season and they were hoping to continue on this path in the final quarter.

Jackie Young had a quiet first half and the team would really need her in the fourth quarter. She only scored two points in the first half of play. In the early minutes of the final quarter, the Liberty had established a ten-point lead 62-52.

The Aces challenged a play in the fourth quarter but it did not go Las Vegas’ way and head coach Becky Hammond was not happy with the result and also not happy with the way the team was playing.

The Aces were just not knocking down shots in the first four minutes of the quarter but they had no choice but to take as many shots as possible. At 6:23 the Aces started to make a push pulling to within four points 67-63.

Mid-way through the quarter Las Vegas began to struggle making shots, not taking advantage of a lot of opportunities and falling behind by a significant margin 75-63. With under five minutes left in the game the Liberty had taken their largest lead so far and Las Vegas was running out of time. The final was 79-67 in favor of the Liberty.

A’Ja Wilson had a double double with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray each had 13 points and Gray also turned in six rebounds. Jackie Young had a rough game only scoring four points; two points in the first half and two in the second. The Aces really cleaned up the turnovers with none in the second half.

Game notes: Saturday afternoon, the Aces got down to business after an amazing showing in the Paris Olympics. They took on the Liberty at Michelob ULTRA Arena as play got back underway in the 2024 season which is rapidly winding down.

The teams will now fight for the eight places in the playoffs. Olympic teammates will return to their respective teams as play has already gotten underway the first games played last Thursday. The Las Vegas Aces dropped to fifth place in the WNBA, and dropped into third place in the Western Conference after Saturday’s loss. The Liberty right now are sitting on top of the League with a 23 and 4 record. This game was expected to be a real dogfight between two of the best teams in the WNBA but the Liberty just laid into the Aces coming away with a 12 point win.

Sunday, the Aces will be back on the court in Las Vegas taking on the Los Angeles Sparks. The Aces will not only be looking to get back on track but they will also be concentrating on moving up in the standings in the final season push with 15 games left in the regular season for the team. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 3:00 PM.