Tag: Dallas Wings

Aces Handle the Wings After Two Previous Losses 99-84

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Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) is fired up after scoring against the Dallas Wings forward Jessica Sheppard (right) in the first half at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Thu Jun 25, 2026 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

They say third times a charm. In their first meeting back in late May the Dallas Wings (11-7) beat Las Vegas Aces (13-5) 95-87 and in their second matchup Dallas walloped the Aces earlier this month 96-66. Thursday night the Aces figured it out and via a great opening quarter and a terrific finish they finally beat the Wings in a solid offensive and defensive game 99-84.

Game recap: This was the start that had eluded the Aces in their two previous matches with the Wings. They built an early lead by forcing Dallas into some difficult shots. They also got balanced scoring rather than relying on just one or two players. They controlled the pace and took a 28-17 lead into the second quarter.

The fast start for Las Vegas set the tone for this game in one of their best opening quarters of the season. Aggressive defense, efficient shotmaking and controlling the glass forced Dallas to work overtime for most of their baskets in the first ten minutes of play.

In the second quarter Dallas raised its intensity outscoring the Aces but only by a single point 22-21. The Wings were more aggressive attacking the basket putting more pressure on the Aces. Dallas had found more offensive rhythm in the second quarter than they had had in the opening quarter.

The Aces had more turnovers and a number of empty possessions. They did however respond with timely baskets whenever the Wings threatened to make a major run. Las Vegas had a 49-39 lead at the half.

The Wings continued to hang around in the third quarter again outscoring the Aces by a couple of points 24-22 making this game a bit uncomfortable for Las Vegas. This had been the Aces most uncomfortable stretch in the game.

Dallas came into the quarter with a lot of energy putting a lot of pressure on Las Vegas. They continued to attack the paint playing with greater urgency. The Aces offense on the other hand became less fluid and they had fewer easy scoring opportunities.

By the end of the quarter the comfortable lead the Aces once enjoyed had shrunk. They needed to execute in the fourth quarter and avoid letting the Wings make a comeback.

The Wings had chipped away at the lead in the second and third quarters but the Aces did not panic. They came out and executed better in key moments in the final quarter. Las Vegas made timely buckets and the veterans made smart decisions by hitting key shots, getting to the free-throw line or creating great looks for teammates.

They really tightened up defensively with key stops in the closing moments which made all the difference in this game. They kept the Wings from getting too many second-chance opportunities. Las Vegas outscored the Wings in the fourth quarter 28-21 and the final score in the Vegas win was 99-84.

A’Ja Wilson had the high score in this game with 32 points and Jackie Young finished with 20 points. Chelsea Gray had 11 points and bench players Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Keirstan Bell both came away with double digits. Collectively the bench finished with 31 points.

The Wings’ Jessica Shepard finished the game with a double double, 22 points and 14 rebounds. Paige Bueckers had the high for the Wings with 25 points

Game notes: The Aces settled a score with the Wings with their first win after three tries against Wings. Thursday night they found a way to beat the Wings at Michelob ULTRA Arena after losing to the New York Liberty Tuesday night.

The Las Vegas offense sputtered at times in that game and the Liberty came in with a solid game plan that they executed to perfection. The fourth quarter in that game saw the Aces threaten to make a come-back but came up just short losing 87-76.

The score that Las Vegas would dearly love to settle Thursday night however was regarding a loss to the Wings on June 15 to the tune of 96-66. It was a most unexpected lop-sided game with the Wings thrashing the Aces.

Las Vegas does remain in second place in the standings with the Dream nipping at their heels in third place. The season is approaching the half-way mark and the Aces got back on track with a win Thursday night over Dallas. The Wings are currently in fifth place in the WNBA.

The Aces will next take on the Chicago Sky at United Center. The game will take place this Sunday June 28th. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 1:00 PM PDT. It will be televised on CBS and Paramount.

Golden State on 4-Game Winning Streak, defeating Wings, 91-80

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Golden State Valkyries Cecilia Zandalasini drvies to the paint on Dallas Wings Azzi Fudd at Chase Center in San Francisco, CA on June 17th, 2026. (Photo credits to Bob Kupbens Imagn Images)

By Michael Villanueva

SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Valkyries have now won their last four games in a row, as they hosted and defeated the Dallas Wings. This was the Valkyries’ second of three home games this week, and so far, they have won every home game. After having a rough start and going down 12 points, the Valkyries would come back and get the win against the Wings, 91-80. This was also the Valkyries tenth win of the season.

The Valkyries are on a four game winning streak. Golden State sent out Kayla Thornton, Gabby Williams, Kiah Stokes, Cecilia Zandalasini, and Veronica Burton. No changes or switches, as these were the same starters as in their last game on Monday evening. Golden State Gabby Williams is averaging 1.8 steals per game, which is sixth best in the WNBA.

The Dallas Wings have won six of their last eighth games coming into this game. So Dallas sent out Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Azzi Fudd, Awak Kuier, and Jessica Shepard, hoping to make the team win seven of their last nine games. In their last game, Arike Ogunbowale led the team with her 22 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and went 5-of-11 from deep.

Dallas started the game solidly, going 5-of-9 on the floor. Wings Awak Kuier got the first bucket of the night on a driving layup. Their shooting got the Wings an early lead halfway through the first quarter. While Golden State saw some early struggles and has already gotten itself five turnovers. The quarter would end with Dallas having a 9-point lead, 26-17.

With Golden State’s 6 turnovers starting the second quarter, the Valkyries were still on attack mode against Dallas. Valkyries Gabby Williams would hit a 23-foot three-pointer to cut the lead to two points, 30-28. In the next possession, Williams would get another shot to fall from deep to give the Valkyries their first lead of the night. Then, Valkyries Kayla Thornton would knock down a three pointer of her own and extend the team’s lead, 35-30.

Golden State went on a 16-0 run, while Dallas would miss their last ten shots in a row. The Valkyries hustle on the rebounds, and getting second chance shots has gotten them back, and overall hold control of the game. By the end of the 2nd quarter, the Valkyries hold their largest lead of the night so far at 11 points, 44-33. The Valkyries would outscore the Wings, 31-9, in the first half.

At the start of the third quarter, Golden State would get themselves another turnover, but their first since the 1st quarter. Then Wings Azzi Fudd gets the first shot of the second half with a midrange jumper shot. With both teams locking in on their perimeter defense, the Valkyries would still find a way to attack and cut out a pass to their shooters. Golden State holds the lead at the end of the 3rd quarter, 64-62

In the final quarter of the game, Dallas would try every effort to cut the lead. The Wings saw the closest to getting back the lead at seven points, 71-64. However, Ballhalla would come alive as the fans’ energy gave the Valkyries energy to close out this game. With just three minutes left, the score was Valkyries lead, 81-76, and the Wings were still trying to take this win on the road.

Valkyries Kaitlin Chen would take over the rest of the game, as she drives to the paint, absorbs the contact, and gets the shot to go in. Both teams were able to see a lot of success in the paint, as they both got over 30 and more points in the paint. As the time winds down, Valkyries Kaila Charles would get the offensive rebound and make the layup to push the lead to nine points, 87-78.

As the game reached the end, it would be the home team, the Valkyries, getting the win and making it their fourth in a row. Five Valkyrie players would finish the game in double-digit scoring, but were led by Gabby Williams. Gabby Williams would finish the game with 22 points, second rebounds, and four assists.

The Golden State Valkyries will play their third and final home game of the week as they host the Minnesota Lynx. The two teams will play each other on Friday at 7 p.m. Minnesota won their first matchup in Minnesota, 87-84, earlier this month on June 4th. The game will be broadcast live on ION.

Playoffs? The Valkyries Say Yes With A Fifth Straight Win, 84-80 Over The Wings

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Golden State Valkyrie center Kaitlyn Chen ( (with the ball) looking for some daylight as Chen is surrounded by Dallas Wings players at Chase Center on Thu Sep 4, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–Coach Natalie Nakase said year one of the WNBA Valkyries would be about the process over wins and losses.

But the process kicked in, and the wins soon came more frequently than the losses. And Nakase’s team accomplished this despite the frequent personnel changes and a couple of disheartening, fourth quarter collapses.

A lot of other things were in play as well. The coaching staff developed a reputation for preparedness and getting their team to buy in. Veronica Burton became a star with versatility and availability for every game. The home crowd filled the Chase Center with noise and enthusiasm every game.

And Nakase was resolute that her team constructed with veterans as opposed to more recognizable college players could and would win now, not a year or two down the road.

“I told the girls, we intentionally picked you guys for this reason: to do things for the first (time),” Nakase said.

The result? The Valkyries became the first expansion team to qualify for the WNBA playoffs with an 84-80, comeback win over the Dallas Wings on Thursday night.

Janelle Salaun led a group of five players scoring in double figures with 19 points and the Valkyries overcame a 13-point, third quarter deficit to win their fifth straight game, and eliminate the Sparks from playoff contention.

The Wings lost for the ninth consecutive game but gave their best effort in weeks by starting fast offensively and limiting mistakes. But the Valkyries stuck to the now familiar process of winning down the stretch with defense and making big shots.

“We were mostly locked in on the defensive end but the Valkyries hit some tough shots and made some plays down the stretch but we felt like we were in the game the entire time,” said Paige Bueckers, who led all scorers with 27 points.

Wings coach Chris Koclanes had obviously seen the Valkyries’ too many times on tape and three, previous meetings, and explained how things got away from his team in the fourth quarter.

“That’s their identity. Right?” Koclanes said. “They’re going to guard and they’re going to get up a ton of threes. So I know they only shoot 40 percent (overall) but they shoot so many threes so effectively when they have good nights it’s a little bit higher than that. But they’re gritty and they’re tough, they’re never out of the game. They just have that fight and when you have this fan base behind you, you get that extra energy.”

Burton came up with the critical basket with 22 seconds remaining on a drive that drew a foul and increased the Valkyries’ two-point lead to 79-74. Five free throws followed with only one miss and the celebration began… briefly.

“I really don’t allow them to celebrate,” Nakase said. “They can enjoy this, but I also keep them humble. I’m a party pooper. Yes, I am.”

PLAYOFFS IN SAN JOSE: The Valkyries announced that their September 17th playoff home game will be played at the SAP Center in San Jose. The team has a scheduling conflict at the Chase Center on that date necessitating the change.

Golden State Valkyries become first WNBA inaugural team to make post season defeat Dallas 84-80

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Golden State Valkyrie center Kaitlyn Chen ( (with the ball) looking for some daylight as Chen is surrounded by Dallas Wings players at Chase Center on Thu Sep 4, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Morris Phillips

The Golden State Valkyries (23-18) made WNBA history with their win over the visiting Dallas Wings at Chase Center becoming the first expansion team to make the post season in their inaugural season in a 84-80 win over the Wings at Chase Center on Thursday night.

The Valkyries first season also set another WNBA record for the most wins by expansion team with the most wins at 23 and selling out all of their first 21 home game and counting thus far. The Valkyries had averaged their attendance at 18,064 per game which marks them the highest in the WNBA.

Valkyrie head coach Natalie Nakase also wo the Coach of the Month award in June and forward Kayla Thornton won Western Conference Player of Week. Thornton also represented the Valkyrie at the WNBA All Star game for this year.

The Valkyrie who clinched for a playoff spot will play their first round playoff games at SAP Center in San Jose due to a Chase Center in San Francisco scheduling conflict at Chase Center on either September 16 or 17th. The first game of the playoffs will be on the road on September 14th.

The Laver Cup tennis tournament which was scheduled well before the Valkyries playoffs had been previously played at Berlin, Vancouver, London and Boston. The WNBA tried to get the second playoff game for Sunday. It just so happen the Lavar was scheduled to play the first game of the playoffs. Lavar had first choice and stayed with Chase Center.

Aces Battle Back From Ten-Point Deficit Beating Dream 74-72 For Eighth Straight Win

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Las Vegas Aces center A’Ja Wilson (22) led the way in scoring with 32 points over the Atlanta Dream at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Tue Aug 19, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

This had to be one of the toughest battles the Las Vegas Aces (22-14) faced all season beating the second place Atlanta Dream (22-13) 74-72. The game was a collection of lead changes, ties and some very physical basketball.

This game was not decided until the clock ran out. A’Ja Wilson had another amazing game finishing with 32 points and 12 rebounds. Jackie Young also had a solid game with 16 points and seven rebounds. Chelsea Gray had seven rebounds, 11 assists and eight points. The Aces has now won eight games in a row.

Game recap: The Atlanta Dream took a 19-18 lead as the clock ran out on the first quarter in their matchup with the Las Vegas Aces. It had been a really close game in the quarter with this game very slow to evolve.

After the first three minutes of play only three points had been scored in a slow start for both teams. Mid-way through the quarter this game was tied at 7-7. It had been a very low scoring quarter with four ties and both teams trading leads.

The second quarter was another close one with the Aces coming out on top 23-21 taking a one-point lead, 41-40 into the half.

The Aces were able to pull a small lead in the third quarter 48-44 but the Dream tied up the game 48-48 at 6:11. The intensity continued to escalate as the quarter wore on and with 3:35 left in the quarter it was again tied at 52. As the quarter ended the battle had continued with the Aces now trailing by four points 57-61. They had their work cut out for them going into the fourth quarter.

The Dream continued to extend their lead in the fourth quarter going on a 11-0 run taking a ten-point lead 67-57. Las Vegas hunkered and pulled to within two points with a lot of time left on the clock 65-67.

WIth 4:44 left on the clock this game was once again tied at 67. There was yet another stoppage of play in the quarter something that had persisted throughout the second half of play. With 3:22 left in the fourth quarter this game took on a life of it’s own as the clock began to countdown.

As the seconds ticked away, this game turned into a battle of wills and it was the Las Vegas Aces that were winning. With under two minutes left in the game Las Vegas was hanging onto a 72-69 game but the battle was hardly over.

The Dream tied up the game with 1 1/2 minutes left in the game. It all came down to the final seconds and with 15.9 left on the clock, the Aces had a 74-72 lead in one crazy game. In an absolutely amazing battle the Las Vegas Aces realized their eighth win in a row 74-72.

This Aces has improved by leaps and bounds in their past eight games. They fought hard for this win led by the incomparable Wilson along with every one of her teammates.

Wilson finished with 32 points and 12 rebounds another double double for her something that has become commonplace for her. Young had 16 points and seven rebounds. Gray had 11 assists and seven rebounds. They have now won eight games in a row.

Game notes: After beating the Dallas Wings Sunday winning their seventh game in a row, the Aces picked up their their eighth win in a row beating the Atlanta Dream at Michelob ULTRA Arena Tuesday night. Wilson has been on a tear for awhile now and the Aces got more of the same Tuesday night.

Wilson has a terrific cast of support with Young and Gray. Bell had a great game on Sunday coming away with 18 points and 6 rebounds. The Aces is also getting a lot of help from Lloyd off the bench. They hit 18 three’s in that game.

The Dream who are in second place in the league and got upset against the Aces. This game was a huge test for Las Vegas who pulled it off. They were able to contain Allisha Gray who is always a scoring threat. The win Tuesday night was huge for Las Vegas. The Aces beat the Dream back on July 22, 87-72 and have one more game against the Dream in season play on Wed Aug 27 in Atlanta.

Thursday night the Aces will again take the floor at Michelob ULTRA Arena. They will face the Mercury looking for their ninth win in a row. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Aces Shoot Lights Out From Beyond the Arc Beating Wings 106-87

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Las Vegas Aces center A’Ja Wilson (22) is fired up after scoring against the Dallas Wings at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sun Aug 17, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Rich Perez

It was competitive for awhile during the Las Vegas Aces (21-14) game with the Dallas Wings (9-16) but the Aces closed it out big time in the final minutes of the fourth quarter taking as much as a 23-point lead.

The final was 106-87 in favor of the Aces winning their seventh game in a row. Once again A’Ja Wilson was outstanding finishing with 34 points and eight rebounds. Kierstan Bell had an amazing game hitting 6 of 7 from beyond the arc.

Bell had 18 points in the game. Jewel Loyd had 12 points off the bench and Nalyssa Smith chipped in 14 points in a great offensive effort for the Aces. The team had a collective 18 shots of 34 from beyond the arc.

The Wings hung with the Aces throughout the opening ten minutes of play. Despite trailing for a bit in the first quarter, the Aces took the lead 31-27 going into the second quarter. Las Vegas got rolling big time as the second quarter wore on. With 2:13 left in the half, the Aces had taken a 52-40 lead. Las Vegas outscored the Wings 24-17 in the second quarter and took a 55-44 lead into the locker room at the half.

Wilson had a terrific first half with 18 points and 3 rebounds. She had been outstanding from both ends of the floor. Bell had 12 points and Chelsea Gray had 10. It had been another slow start for Jackie Young and Jewel Loyd and they would be looking for more in the second half.

Las Vegas was 100% from the line and 50 % from both the field and from beyond the arc. Through the first two quarters the Aces were protecting the ball well with only six turnovers.

The Wings had two players in double digits at the half. Maddy Siegrist had 11 points as did Paige Bueckers. They struggled from three point land making only 2 of 9. The Aces had made nine of 18 points from beyond the arc.

Las Vegas has come out a bit slow in the third quarter of games recently and they would need more physicality in the second half as well as containing the Wings offense. Young already had three personal fouls which was of some concern.

Dallas also had two starters with significant personal fouls, Luisa Geiselsoder with three and Haley Jones with four. The Wings started to trim the Aces lead to start the third quarter prompting a early time-out for the Aces.

Dallas trimmed the Las Vegas 12-point lead to six points mid-way through the quarter. Leading by only six points, Las Vegas put a stop to the Dallas run taking a 69-57 lead with 4:26 left in the quarter.

Both Lloyd and Young made three’s to stage the comeback. Dallas continued to fight cutting the Las Vegas lead to single digits 75-66. The Aces closed out the quarter taking back a double digit lead 81-66. Las Vegas continued to hit big shots from beyond the arc with Bell hitting 4 of 4 and Lloyd 4 of 6. They had a total of 13 threes.

The fourth quarter got underway with Wilson on the bench something we typically see. They would need her fresh down the stretch. Bell hit her fifth three of the game at 6:28. Dallas continued to hang around cutting the Las Vegas 18 point lead down to 12 points prompting another time-out.

With 4:22 left in the game the Ace had taken a 93-72 lead with Bell hitting three after three finishing with 6 of 7 and 18 points. The Aces win in a strong fourth quarter finish.

This has been an amazing run for the Aces; Las Vegas had won their seventh game in a row. They had hit 18 three’s in their 106-87 win over Dallas. It was a perfect blend of offensive and defensive effort. They have won nine of their last ten games.

Game notes: The Aces are on a roll that’s unequivocal. Ever since they were soundly beaten by the Lynx back on August 2 by the score of 111-58 they have pulled out all the stops playing some incredible basketball. The lop-sided loss to Minnesota didn’t sit well with Las Vegas and they have turned their season around and they did it on a dime.

They have beaten the Valkyries twice in a row, the Storm, the Sun, the Liberty and the Mercury for a six game winning stretch. This afternoon the beat the Wings at Michelob ULTRA Arena getting lucky number seven.

A’Ja Wilson has come unleashed and off the bench Jewel Loyd has also been instrumental in this winning streak along with the rest of the team. They have all been playing smart, hard and it is without doubt paying off handsomely.

Today the entire team continued to move up in the standings and have been taking it one game at a time as the wins continue to pile up. It has sure been something special for Las Vegas fans to witness.

Next up for Las Vegas will be another home game; another challenge for the Aces taking on the Atlanta Dream who sit in second place in the league and first place in the Eastern Conference. That game will take place next Tuesday with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM at Michelob ULTRA. The Aces will be looking to keep this crazy run going strong and there is absolutely nothing that would indicate otherwise

Golden State Valkyrie podcast Michael Roberson: Valkyrie look to make up for huge loss of Kayla Thornton

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Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton (5) before the opening tip against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on May 29, 2025. Thornton suffered a knee injury earlier in the week in San Francisco and will be out for the rest of the WNBA season./ John Jones-Imagn Images

Golden State Valkyrie podccast:

#1 The Golden State Valkyrie (11-12) picked up a big win over the Dallas Wings (7-18) on Friday night at Chase Center 86-76 and ended their three game skid.

#2 The big loss for the Valkyrie is of star player Kayla Thornton due to a knee injury. Talk about how her absence will effect the Valkyrie line up.

#3 Thornton was the leading scorer with 14 points and seven assists and 1.5 rebounds that’s a lot offense that will be missed.

#4 On the Valkyrie win on Friday leading in scoring Tiffany Hayes 17 points and Janelle Salaun 16 points to help pave the ten point win for Golden State.

#5 It’s off to Connecticut as the Valkyrie prepare to face the Sun. The Sun are a struggling bunch at 3-20 and in last place in the WNBA Eastern Conference. The Valkyrie at 11-12 in the Western Conference are in eighth place. How do you see this match Sunday?

Michael Roberson is a podcast contributor at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Valkyries clipped Wings 86-76, and ended their winless streak, but lost WNBA All-Star Thornton

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Golden State Valkyries Kaitlyn Chen (2) defends against the Dallas Wings Paige Bueckers (5) at Chase Center in San Francisco on Fri July 25, 2025 (Bay Area News Group photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN FRANCISCO– Despite losing their star player Kayla Thornton for the season, the Golden State Valkyries (11-12) sprinkled salt on the Dallas Wings (7-18) 86-76, while simultaneously ending their 3-game losing streak’

Earlier Friday morning, the shocking news came out that leading scorer and recent All-Star game (Indianapolis) participant, Kayla Thornton would miss the rest of the inaugural season for the fledgling Valkyries, with a  lower leg injury.  It put a figurative fog over the City by the Bay, where it is already known and nicknamed “Fog City.”  This depressing information came in the midst of a three-game losing streak and the midway point of the season.

The Valkyries came out with a determined will to win the WNBA Battle inside Chace Center.  Tiffany Hayes hit two 3-pointers to open the contest; before you knew it, the wounded team was up 6-0 on their opponents from the Lone Star State.  Unfortunately for the home team, the guests were not sympathetic or impressed by that initial push.  The rest of the quarter, the Wings went on a 21-4 run to take over quadrant number one, 21-10.

Golden State opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run, getting close to a tie or taking over the lead.  Dallas was able to hold off the expansion team, and maintain a six-point lead at recess, 36-30.  The only player on either squad to eclipse 10+ points, was Wings’ veteran star guard Arike Ogunbowale (11).  Surprisingly, high profile rookie Paige Bueckers only produced 5 points and 4 assists; however, there was a whole other second half of game time left in the contest.

In the second half, despite the Wings leading by as many as 12 points, the Valkyries made a dramatic comeback in the third quarter.  They outscored them by nine points, and actually took the lead back with less than a minute left in the period.  With 3/4 of the regulation time played, the Valkyries clutched a 3-point lead, 63-60.  Bueckers was still below double-figures, although her team was still within reach.

The final quarter would have the Valkyries extend their advantage to as much as 10 points, while Bueckers exemplified why she is the team’s leading scorer.  She more than doubled her points production in the fourth quarter alone.  Unfortunately for the Wings, that was not enough at the end of 40 minutes of action.  Golden State won by their largest gap of ten points, 86-76, and gave the city, region and league, a bit of a reprieve from the devastating report earlier in the day.

Five Valkyries scored at least 10 points.  The aforementioned Tiffany Hayes led the way with 17, while Janelle Salaun chipped in 16, Kaitlyn Chen (14), Temi Fagbenie (11) and Cecilia Zandalasini added ten.

Dallas presented four players with double Digits.  Beuckers (17), Ogunbowale (16), Aziaha James (13), and Stanford legend Haley Jones put up ten points in front of family and friends.

The Valkyries will next be in action, Sunday, July 27 in the Nutmeg State, to take on the Connecticut Sun, at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT on CBSSN.  The Wings will fly back home to host the Las Vegas Aces, on the same date, at 3 PM CT on ESPN3.

Aces Finish Off Wings In Season Finale 98-84

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The Las Vegas Aces forward Bell Kierstan (1) takes a shot on the Dallas Wings guard Lou Lopez Senechal (8) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Thu Sep 19, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces played their last regular season game at Michelob ULTRA Arena taking on the Dallas Wings beating them 98-84. The Las Vegas starters got the night off and got to root their bench on and this bench did a terrific job. Every time Dallas made a move, the Aces pushed right back. Megan Gustafson was the high for the Aces with 24 points.

Game recap: After the first ten minutes of play, this final season game was tied at 30. The Aces starters did not take the floor in this final game. Alysha Clark, Megan Gustafson, Sydney Colson, Tiffany Hayes and Kate Martin started this game. Kiersten Bell did a great job off the bench, in fact, everyone on the floor tonight was doing a terrific job.

After two quarters, the Aces really turned it on. They outscored the Wings 30-15 in the second quarter and led at the half 60-45. There was some amazing play from players you don’t normally see on the floor. Getting the opportunity to play an entire game was invaluable experience for them going forward.

The third quarter was a close one for a minute but it sure did not finish that way. The Aces outscored the Wings 28-23 and after three quarters had built a 20 point lead 88-68. This was their largest lead of he game. They finished the quarter on a 7-0 run. Megan Gustafson had 23 points through three quarters and Tiffany Hayes had 21 points. The Aces were having an impressive second half of basketball.

The Aces called a timeout in the early minutes of the fourth quarter. The Wings were showing some stirrings of a rally and Las Vegas wanted to put a stop to any comeback that Dallas was seeking.

Mid-way through the quarter, the Wings had almost cut the Aces lead in half trailing 90-79. Dallas went on a 11-0 run trailing by single digits 90-81. With two minutes left in the game the Aces pushed their lead back out to 98-84. That would be the final.

The high for the Aces was Megan Gustafson with 24 points. Tiffany Hayes chipped in 21 points. She has been amazing all season. Kierstan Bell had 12 points off the bench. For the Wings, Satou Sabally had the high with 25 points.

Game notes: Thursday evening the Aces played their last regular season game at home taking on the Wings. The Aces are headed for the playoffs and Dallas unfortunately will be headed home until next season, always a tough pill to swallow. The Aces finished the season in fourth place and will be starting their playoff run on Sunday taking on the Seattle Storm in game one of the series.

The 2024 WNBA playoffs get underway this Sunday at Michelob ULTRA Arena. A’Ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces will matchup with the fifth place Jewel Lloyd and the Seattle Storm. TIp-off for this game is scheduled for 7:00 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.