Tag: Aces

By Shawn McCullough

The Mystics went on a 13-0 run late in the fourth quarter to beat the Aces, 83-73, in Washington, D.C.

“That was very much a playoff type of atmosphere, very physical,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “We need to learn to play through that.”

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while guard Chelsea Gray added 20.

“They just stayed consistent defensively and they stayed within their schemes,” said Gray. “We were playing right into their hands.  We need to stay more focused mentally.”

Wilson recorded her 15^th double-double of the season.

Guard Kelsey Plum scored 15 points, going 3 for 9 from three-point range.

“I did a terrible job of shot selection and we gave up a ton of offensive rebounds,” said Plum on the fourth quarter. “We didn’t get A’ja [Wilson] the ball when we needed to.”

The Mystics swept the season series, 3-0, over the Aces.

“They have a lot of defenders on the court,” said Hammon. “All of the hustle categories, we lost.”

With the loss, the Aces fell to 22-9 on the season.

The Aces will play the fourth game of a five-game road trip on Thursday against the Wings in Dallas.

Las Vegas is one of five WNBA teams to have clinched a playoff berth with five games remaining in the regular season.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot just 40.6% from the field and went 9 for 26 from three-point range.
Las Vegas was out-rebounded by the Mystics, 38-30.
The Aces got just five points off the bench.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces took back-to-back games against the Fever with a 94-69 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Las Vegas jumped out quickly, taking a 21-13 first quarter lead and controlled the rest of the game.

The Aces were led by guard Kelsey Plum, who dropped 26 points and shot 9 for 12 from the field.

A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Theresa Plaisance each added 13 points.

The Aces held the Fever to just 31% from the field and forced 14 turnovers.

With the win, the Aces improved to 22-8 on the season.

The Aces will play the third game of a five-game road trip on Tuesday against the Mystics in Washington, D.C.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 50.7% from the field and went 6 for 17 from three-point range.
Las Vegas was out-rebounded by the Fever, 39-37.
Center Kiah Stokes came off the bench and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back in a 93-72 win over the Indiana Fever at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

“Overall, I was pleased with the effort and our defense,” said head coach Becky Hammon.

The Aces defense held the Fever to 36.8% from the field and forced 13 turnovers.

A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum each scored 22 points to lead the Aces, while Jackie Young added 15.

“I take a lot of pride in the energy of this team,” said Wilson. “We just have to keep going and keep building.  We have to focus on us and focus on getting better.”

Young played high school basketball in Princeton, IN, 150 miles from Indianapolis.

“It’s fun to come home,” said Young. “I look forward to this game every year.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 21-8 on the season.

The Aces will play the second game of a five-game road trip on Sunday against the same Indiana Fever in Indianapolis.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 52.8% from the field and went 9 for 26 from three-point range.
Las Vegas out-rebounded the Fever, 41-28.
The Aces turned the ball over 19 times.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces outscored Los Angeles 27-13 in the fourth quarter to beat the Sparks 84-66 at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Las Vegas led 57-53 at the end of the third quarter, but started to get shots to fall in the fourth quarter.

“Solid defensively, it wasn’t easy offensively,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “It wasn’t until that fourth quarter until we could break it open a little bit.”

“We were smarter defensively in the second half,” said guard Chelsea Gray. “In the second half, we stayed in front of people and didn’t let them get second chance points.”

The Aces were led by guard Kelsey Plum, who scored 29 points and went 4 for 8 from three-point range.

“She [Plum] is a key piece to our offense,” said A’ja Wilson. “She is reading the defense, getting to the basket and hitting threes.”

Wilson has now scored 20 points or more in seven straight games.  She scored 24 points and pulled down six rebounds.

“My teammates are setting me up,” said Wilson.

With the win, the Aces improved to 20-8 on the season and pulled to within one game of the WNBA leading Chicago Sky.

The Aces will next travel to Chicago on Tuesday to play the Sky for the Commissioners Cup.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot just 41.4% from the field and went 10 for 27 from three-point range.
Las Vegas out-rebounded the Sparks, 38-32.
The Aces improved to 5-1 after the All-Star Break.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

By Shawn McCullough

LAS VEGAS–The Aces bounced back from a tough loss on Tuesday to the Atlanta Dream with a 90-77 win over the Indiana Fever at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Las Vegas came out fast, building a 52-32 halftime lead and overcoming a rough fourth quarter, scoring just 14 points.

“They came back a little bit, but overall, a really good win from us,” said head coach Becky Hammon.

The Aces were led by A’ja Wilson’s 23 points, while Jackie Young added 16.

“I felt like my teammates set me up to where I can score the ball,” said Wilson.

Chelsea Gray had a double-double, scoring 14 points and dishing out 12 assists.

“That’s who she [Gray] is, that is Chelsea Gray, she is the head of our snake,” said Wilson. “When she is rockin’ and rollin’, we are rockin’ and rollin’.”

“When we are playing in transition, that’s when we are flowing,” said Gray.

The win snapped a 4-game losing streak for the Aces at home.

With the win, the Aces improved to 19-8 on the season and will play the final game of a three game homestand on Saturday against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 48.1% from the field and went 8 for 26 from three-point range.
Las Vegas out-rebounded the Fever, 43-33.
The Aces turned the ball over 16 times.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

By Shawn McCullough

The Atlanta Dream snapped the Aces three game winning streak with a 92-76 win over Las Vegas at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Dream shooting guard Tiffany Hayes scored 31 points, going 11 for 14 from the field and hitting four from three-point range.

The Aces came out flat, trailing 35-18 after the first quarter, and never bounced back.

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Jackie Young added 18.

With the loss, the Aces fell to 18-8 on the season and are now 1.5 games behind Chicago at the top of the WNBA standings.

The Aces will play the second game of a three game homestand on Thursday against the Indiana Fever.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot only 36.6% from the field.
Las Vegas was out-rebounded by the Dream, 40-29.
The Aces never led in the game.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces finished off a three game East Coast road trip with a 91-83 win over the Sun in Connecticut.

The Aces trailed 37-35 at halftime, but came out on a 9-0 run to start the second half to pull away.

Guard Kelsey Plum scored a game high 22 points, going 7 for 14 from the field.

Chelsea Gray dropped 21 points, while A’ja Wilson added 20 and pulled down seven rebounds.

The Aces went 3-0 on this East Coast road trip.

With the win, the Aces improved to 18-7 on the season and are one game behind Chicago at the top of the WNBA standings.

The Aces will return home for three straight games, including their next game against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot only 41.9% from the field.
Las Vegas was out-rebounded by the Sun, 41-30.
The Aces signed guard Kelsey Plum to a contract extension.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

By Shawn McCullough

In their third straight game against the Liberty, the Aces routed New York at Barclays Center, 108-74, to take two of the three games.

Las Vegas again dominated the first quarter, outscoring the Liberty 37-13, but this time also controlled the game after that.

All-Star A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 25 points, while guard Kelsey Plum dropped 21, going 4 for 7 from three-point range.

The Aces hit 16 three-point shots in the game.

Chelsea Gray went 6 for 7 from the field, including 4 for 4 from three-point range.

With the win, the Aces improved to 17-7 on the season and inched to within ½ game of Chicago at the top of the WNBA standings.

The Aces will next travel to Connecticut to face the Sun on Sunday before returning home for three straight games.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 53.5% from the field.
Las Vegas out-rebounded the Liberty, 40-30.
For a second straight game, the Aces never trailed in the game.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None

Photo Credit: WNBA

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces avenged a 116-107 loss to the Liberty last Wednesday with a 107-101 win over New York at Barclays Center.

The Aces defense stepped up in the first half, holding the Liberty to just 28 points.

The Aces once led by as many as 24 points, but the Liberty rallied in the second half.

“Bad first half for them and then you flip the script,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “They put together a good second half.”

“I don’t think that we did a very good job closing today,” said guard Kelsey Plum. “We took our foot off the gas.”

The Aces were led by Plum, who scored 27 points while going 3 for 9 from three-point range.

“A win is a win and we need to learn from it,” said Plum.

Forwards A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young each dropped 23 points, while Wilson recorded her 50^th career double-double, pulling down 14 rebounds.

“We have a target on our back, but we don’t have a monkey on our back,” said Wilson. “We try to stick together as much as we can. We lean on each other and we try to execute the best we can and get the win.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 16-7 on the season heading into their third straight game against the Liberty on Thursday in New York.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 51.6% from the field, while going 34 for 35 from the free throw line.
The Aces out-rebounded the Liberty, 36-27.
The Aces never trailed in the game.

Game Starters:

C – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 5 Dearica Hamby
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

None