Tag: A’ja Wilson

Valkyries Fall In Return Home To Focused Aces, 78-72

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–If the Valkyries’ unprecedented path to the WNBA playoffs involves beating the teams at and below their level in the standings, the Las Vegas Aces made it clear that they’re not in that group.

A’ja Wilson’s efficient 27 points and 7 rebounds led the Aces to a 78-72 win at Chase Center on Wednesday night that was easily the visitors’ most focused effort against the expansion Valkyries in their now completed four-game set.

Physical play throughout limited scoring, and proliferated the referee whistles, but didn’t deter the Aces’ gritty defensive effort that limited the Valkyries to 39 percent shooting from the floor.

“We needed to fight for 40 minutes, not 20 or 25,” Janelle Salaun said afterwards on the KPIX-TV post-game show.

The Valkyries fell below .500 to 14-15, but remained in the top eight of the standings, a half game ahead of the Sparks and a full game in front of the Mystics. The top eight qualify for the playoffs, and the Valkyries still have critical home games against the Sparks and Mystics.

Both teams wasted their opportunities at the 3-point line, shooting just 18 percent but made up for it with near flawless free throw shooting. Wilson navigated both areas by shooting 11 for 11 at the stripe and not attempting a three, while making 8 of 11 from two. The former MVP and two-time champion also had two steals and two blocks. When pressured, she drove. When afforded space, Wilson cooked the Valkyries from the free throw line extended.

Tiffany Hayes led the hosts with 14, Salaun added 13, and Carla Leite and Kaila Charles had 11 each.

The Valkyries next host the Sparks on Saturday evening.

Aces have that championship look in 95-79 win over Dallas preceding the Olympic break

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By Morris Phillips

ARLINGTON, TX–What’s not to like? The Las Vegas Aces were the trendy title pick before the WNBA season started, and entering the Olympic break, they still are.

“We’re a super talented team,” Dearica Hamby said. “Really one through 12. Talented, talented roster.”

The Aces were flawless even without Liz Cambage, who has already joined the Australian national team in Vegas of all hot places. Without her, A’ja Wilson dominated in the paint, scoring 22 points as her shiftier teammates spread the floor and moved the ball in a fast moving attack.

Hamby added 22 points, Jackie Young had 17, and Kelsey Plum 16 as the Aces broke open a close game after halftime and led by double digits for the majority of the second half. The key may have been eschewing 3-point attempts and attacking the Wings in the paint with their quickness and passing ability despite Dallas’ advantage in size. The Aces attempted just eight shots from distance, making three while going 31 for 59 from two, and 24 of 30 from the free throw stripe.

The Wings, a surprise with their presence in the postseason chase, fell to 9-12, and they appeared to lose focus offensively after the break, missing 17 3-pointers in all, and allowing too many transition opportunities to their opponent. Three Wings–Satou Sabally, Tyasha Harris and Marina Mabrey–failed to make a shot, combining to go 0 for 17 and 0 for 5 from three. Dallas’ leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale was pestered throughout by Riquna Williams and finished 4 of 19 shooting for 10 points.

Moriah Jefferson and Allisha Gray each had 14 points to pace the Wings.

The Aces will see five of their players depart for the Tokyo Olympics, and with a 15-6 record trailing only Seattle at 16-5, health will be the primary concern for the team over the month long break. Cambage, Wilson, Plum, Chelsea Gray and Ji Sun Park have earned the distinction of being 2021 Olympians.

“We got through the first half healthy, and that’s a huge bonus for our basketball team that we have a full roster,” Coach Bill Laimbeer said.

Aces win in Indianapolis, push their way to the top the WNBA standings

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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.”

Dream turns Aces’ finale into a nightmare 93-78 loss

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

ACESDREAM 1q
Atlanta led 20-19 after the first quarter Photo: @LVAces

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Las Vegas Aces (14-20) knew the game on Sunday was their last game of the 2018 season. The Aces had been eliminated from the playoffs on Friday night in Dallas. They hoped to put on a good show for the crowd in their finale and keep the Atlanta Dream from earning a double bye in the first round of the playoffs.

The Aces did put on a good show for the fans–at least for three quarters–but they came up short on their plan to beat the Dream. Atlanta (23-11) beat Las Vegas 93-78 handing the Aces their 20th loss of the season.

The Dream held just a 64-62 lead at the end of three quarters. It looked like the Aces were well positioned to make a run to win the game in the final quarter, but it was not meant to be. Atlanta outscored Las Vegas 29-16 in the final period and ran away with the game. When the final buzzer sounded, the Dream had won the game 93-78 and earned a double bye to escape the single elimination games in the playoffs.

ACESDREAM 3rd
The Aces trailed by just two points after three quarters Photo: @LVAces

“Games like this are always tough,” said Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer in his postgame comments. “You get eliminated from the playoffs and have to go out there and find the motivation to keep working. We are professional basketball players, so I told the team before that we are going to play a lot of people tonight.  I want to compete – to win the game – and for the most part, I think we did for a half. We came out in the 3rdquarter and you could see we just didn’t have it anymore, mentally, they didn’t put forth the effort to win the game. [Atlanta] needed it badly, they did the job, they got the win.  I told [the team] after the game – be proud of this year, it was a great year for the Las Vegas Aces. We launched a franchise.  We competed and showed who we were – individually and collectively – and our franchise and our fans got to come out and enjoy a great product and a great sport, and MGM did a wonderful job launching this franchise. So, I told them to be proud of themselves.  Yeah, we didn’t make the playoffs, but we are really looking forward to next year.”

Aces Postgame Notes

  • A’ja Wilson put up 21 points to score in double figures for the 33rd time to start her career. She also scored 20-plus points for the 18th time in 2018.
  • Dearica Hamby–14 points–posted double figures for the 12th time this season.
  • Kelsey Bone scored nine points, which was one off of her season-highs.
  • The Las Vegas Aces won six more games (14 to 8) this season than they did as the San Antonio Stars in 2017.

Atlanta Postgame Notes

  • The Dream finished the season with a franchise record 23 regular season wins.
  • Elizabeth Williams led the Dream in scoring with 20 points–her 14th double-digit scoring game of the season.
  • Renee Montgomery posted 16 points and dished out a season-high nine assists on Sunday.
  • Atlanta’s record is now 16-3 when they score 80-plus points in a game.
  • The Dream swept the season series with the Aces.

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.

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.

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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.