Tag: Las Vegas Aces

Aces blow out Liberty, 108-74

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Photo Credit: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

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

Aces snap two game skid, beat Liberty, 107-101

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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 50th 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

Aces lose second straight 116-107; Las Vegas drops fifth in last seven games

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The New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu had a triple double setting a WNBA record against the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas in WNBA action on Wed Jul 6, 2022 (USA Today photo)

Aces Lose Second Straight 116-107

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Las Vegas Aces (15-7) took on the New York Liberty (9-12). It has been a real roller coaster ride for the Western Conference leaders. They lead the conference by one game, the Storm on their heels. They need to get back to basics and play the kind of basketball that they are capable of as they dropped their second straight game 116-107.

The first quarter was a close one with the Liberty leading 32-30 after ten minutes. The Aces got things rolling winning the second quarter 33-23 and led at the half 63-55.

It was an amazing second half for the Liberty. They won both the third and fourth quarter. While the Liberty won the third quarter 28-21, the Aces were still in this game leading by a single point 84-83.

The fourth quarter was all New York winning it 33-23 and the game handing the Aces their second loss in a row.

The Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu came away with a triple-double. She had 31 points in the highest scoring triple-double in WNBA history. She also had 13 rebounds and ten assists in a stellar game. She hit seven of eight from downtown in a near perfect performance.

The Aces A’JA Wilson had 29 points and nine rebounds. Jackie Young `finished with 24 points. They came up just short in this game. With this loss, the Aces had lost five of their last seven games.

Las Vegas has already secured their place in the 2022 Commissioners Cup game against the Chicago Sky in late July but they missed a chance Wednesday to play in Las Vegas. So no home floor advantage.

Aces Top Minnesota 91-85; Vegas picks up second win in three games

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Minnesota Lynx forward Jessica Shepard (10) dribbles the ball against Las Vegas Aces center Iliana Rupert (21) (photo from the Minnesota Star Tribune Erica Dischino)

Aces Top Minnesota 91-85

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Las Vegas Aces (15-5) traveled to Minnesota to take on the Lynx (6-15). The Aces got a 91-85 win in Minnesota. Las Vegas dropped their last game to the Storm 88-78 last Wednesday night collapsing in the fourth quarter. The game was tied with four minutes left in the game but the Aces couldn’t finish and lost to Seattle.. They were looking to get back on the winning track Friday night.

The Aces had a great start leading 15-2 with three minutes left in the first quarter. The Lynx made an amazing push in the final three minutes of the opening quarter. They went on a 11-2 run and only trailed 19-13 after the first ten minutes.

The Aces would hit seven shots in a row to end the first half. Despite ten turnovers they led after two quarters 46-33. Las Vegas shot 59% in the first half and the Lynx struggled shooting just under 36%.

Moriah Jefferson was 2-2 from downtown and had 12 points in the half to lead the Lynx. The Aces Chelsea Gray had 12 points and Kelsey Plum finished the first half with ten points.

The Aces continued to lead and after three quarters Las Vegas was still in charge 69-61. The Lynx won the third quarter 28-23 but still trailed never taking the lead once through three quarters.

At 6:02 in the fourth quarter the Lynx took their first lead of the game 76-75. The Lynx kept it close until the closing minutes. The final was 91-85.

The entire Las Vegas starting roster shot double digits with Chelsea Gray the team leader with 21 points. Kelsey Plum finished with 18 points and A’Ja Wilson had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Lynx got an outstanding game from Rachel Banham off the bench with 24 points and was six of eight from downtown. It was just not enough to get past Las Vegas.

The two teams will meet again on Sunday in Las Vegas. Tipoff is schedule for 4:00 PM.

Aces lose to Storm 88-78; Vegas’ third loss in four games

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Aces Lose to Storm 88-78; Vegas’ third loss in four games

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday night the Las Vegas Aces (14-5) took on the Seattle Storm (12-7) at Climate Pledge Arena home of the Storm in Seattle. The Aces won their last game, a close one, to the LA Sparks 79-73 Monday night. The Aces in turn lost to the Storm 88-78 a ten point disappointment and the Aces third loss in their last four games.

The Storm are currently in second place in the Western Conference trailing the first place Aces.

The Aces won the first quarter 27-23 in a closely contested game. The Storm would pull to within three points at the half. Seattle won the second quarter by the slim margin of 21-20. The Aces led at the half 47-44. A’Ja Wilson pulled out all the stops in the first half the only Ace in double digits.

After three quarters the Storm had taken the lead 64-62 winning the quarter 20-15. The Aces had a strong fourth quarter finish in their last game and needed to finish strong in this one.

With four minutes left in the game, the score was tied at 72 and it was the Storm that finished the game. They hoped for a fourth quarter finish but that didn’t happen for Las Vegas and they dropped their third game in four outings. The ten point win was in favor of the Storm.

The Storm had a tremendous game from Jewell Loyd with 24 points.

The high score for the Aces was A’JA Wilson with yet another outstanding game. She finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray all shot double digits.

Las Vegas will be back on the court in Minnesota taking on the Lynx Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM PT.

Aces Back On the Winning Track Beating Sparks 79-73

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Los Vegas Aces gets a six point win on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks for their 14th win of the season on Mon Jun 27, 2022 (@LVAces photo)

Aces Back On the Winning Track Beating Sparks 79-73

By Barbara Mason

Saturday the Las Vegas Aces (14-4) suffered a very tough loss in overtime to the Washington Mystics by a single point 87-86. They were looking to bounce back Monday night against the Los Angeles Sparks (7-11) after two straight losses. In the past two games between the two teams the Aces completely dominated Los Angeles and Monday was no exception as the Aces got a six point win over the Sparks 79-73 in Los Angeles.

The Sparks had a very strong opening quarter topping the Aces 26-21. The Aces would strike back in the second quarter with a 18-7 run and lead at the half 40-36.

This game was a tie after three quarters at 59. The Sparks outscored the Aces 23-19 in the third. Los Angeles went on a 13-3 run and this game was up for grabs.

With 3:03 left on the clock the Aces held a slim 74-71 lead. Las Vegas was tired of losing fighting their way through this very tough Los Angeles team The final was 79-73 in favor of the Aces.

Kelsey Plum was the high for the Aces with 29 points and A’ja Wilson finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

The Sparks played a great game but came up just short. They showed a lot of determination and played far better than they did in their previous meetings.

Wednesday night the Aces will be trying to get a new winning streak going at the expense of the tough Seattle Storm. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Aces fall to Washington 87-86; Vegas’ second straight loss

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Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby (5) takes a shot that is rejected by Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne (11) at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas in first half action on Sat Jun 25, 2022 (AP News photo)  

Aces Fall to Washington 87-86

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Las Vegas Aces (13-4) took on the Washington Mystics (12-9) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas and the Aces came away with their second straight loss 87-86. It was the first time the Aces have lost multiple games this season.

The Aces are coming off a disappointing loss to Chicago 104-95 Tuesday night. The Sky came back from 28 points down, the largest comeback in WNBA history. Las Vegas does didn’t want to repeat anything even remotely close to that. They were looking to get back on the winning track.

Saturday night game recap: The Aces won the first quarter 22-20. The Mystics would prove to be a very real challenge. Las Vegas led at one time in the second quarter by seven points but the Mystics erased that lead and led at the half 46-40. Washington had won the second quarter 26-18.

Both teams battled through the third quarter as Washington continued to lead after three 63-60. The Aces won the third quarter 20-17 but still trailed in this game.

With four minutes left in the game Las Vegas trailed 75-72. The Aces were able to tie the game with 7.7 seconds left on the clock. Chelsea Gray tied the game when she hit from downtown. The game was tied at 83 at the buzzer and this game went into overtime. The Aces couldn’t hold on and lost by three points in favor of the Mystics. A tough loss for the Aces.

Las Vegas had opportunities but couldn’t take advantage of them in overtime. Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young each had 20 points. A’ja Wilson had 14 rebounds and 17 points. The Aces had 16 steals yet they were unable to pull this game out. This is the second meeting for the Aces facing the Mystics and they had lost each time. The first time in Washington losing 89-76 on May 10th.

The Aces hope to bounce back Monday night when they take on the LA Sparks. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM PT.

Las Vegas falls to the Sky 104-95; Loss snaps 4 game win streak for Aces

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Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker, center, battles for the ball with Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby (5) and guard Chelsea Gray, right, in WNBA action at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Tue Jun 21, 2022 (AP News photo)

Las Vegas Falls to the Sky 104-95.

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (13-3) barely survived their last game Sunday against the Lynx winning by a singe point 96-95. Tuesday night they came back home at Michelob Ultra Arena taking on the Chicago Sky (11-5); this matchup a very tough one and took a tough loss 104-95 to snap a four game win streak.

The Aces had an amazing first quarter winning it 41-18. After 12 minutes it looked like they were in complete control of this game even though it was early.

The Sky came back in the second quarter winning the quarter 33-21 but still trailing at the half 62-51. Chicago had erased 11 points off the Aces lead but still had some work to do.

The Sky made a huge push in the third quarter coming out on top 30-11. Chicago had taken the lead 81-73 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Aces continued to trail the Sky in the fourth quarter. The hot start that Las Vegas had in the first quarter had vanished in the second quarter and they were struggling to keep up with Chicago through the third quarter and into the fourth. The Sky maintained a nice lead 92-82 with five minutes left in the game.

After an explosive first quarter the Aces seemed to fizzle. They took their foot off the pedal and let Chicago off the hook and back into this game. The final was 104-95. The Aces came close but it was too little too late. They did enough offensively to win this game and only had five fouls but it was just not enough defensively.

Courtney Vandersloot had the high for the Sky with 25 points. The Aces had great games from Jackie Young with 23 points and Kelsey Plum with 22.

Saturday night the Aces will take on the Mystics in yet another tough matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Ace squeak past Lynx in a marathon 96-95

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Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) is all smiles as the Aces get a one point win over the Minnesota Lynx on Sun Jun 19, 2022 (@LVAces photo)

Aces Squeak Past Lynx In a Marathon 96-95.

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Las Vegas Aces (13-2) took on the Minnesota Lynx (3-13) at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Lynx have been struggling and on the opposite end of the spectrum the Aces have been playing lights out basketball led by Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson. The Aces continued their winning ways picking up their 13th win against the Lynx 96-95.

A real offensive and defensive battle between the two teams resulted in a tie after the first quarter of play. The two teams were knotted at 22. Moriah Jefferson led the Lynx with seven points and Chelsea Gray led the Aces with 6 points.

The Lynx outscored the Aces in the second quarter 28-17 and led at the half 50-39. It was a stunning first half for Las Vegas struggling against Minnesota. They were having a tough time offensively in this game.

Las Vegas turned this game around in the third quarter tying it up at 56 with 2:37 left in the quarter. With 54.0 ticks left in the quarter the tie persisted at 69. As the quarter came to an end the Lynx had taken a slim lead 74-73.

Minnesota refused to back off and continued to lead the Aces by the slimmest of margins in this roller coaster of a game. It wasn’t until the final three minutes of the game that Las Vegas locked in the win. The Aces fought through this game from the tipoff. The final was 96-95.

A’Ja Wilson finished with 25 points and Kelsey Plum turned in 21 points in this marathon.

The Aces will be taking on the Sky Tuesday night with tipoff 7:00 PM.

Aces make it three straight beating Wings 92-84; Vegas’ tenth win in last 11 games

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Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) (below) takes aim at the free throw line and (top) forward A’ja Wilson (22) takes a jump shot against the Dallas Wings at College Park Center in WNBA action on Wed Jun 15, 2022 (Image from the Las Vegas Aces Twitter account)

Aces Make It Three Straight Beating Wings 92-84

By Barbara Mason

Wednesday afternoon the Western Conference leading Las Vegas Aces (12-2) took on the Dallas Wings (6-8) at College Park Center.

The Aces had a slow start trailing by as much as ten points in the first quarter. After 12 minutes Las Vegas trailed by the score of 23-14.

The second quarter ended up a tie 21-21 and at the half the Wings led 44-35. Las Vegas had some ground to make up in the second half.

The Aces tuned on the heat in the third quarter and turned the tables on the Wings winning the quarter 31-16 in a blowout. They scored 31 third quarter points to lead 66-60 after three.

The Wings continue to hang in this game but came up short. The Aces won the fourth quarter 26-24 and the game 92.84.

Teams have been able to challenge Las Vegas but have been unable to finish games largely in part to the play of A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum. The Las Vegas starting roster is a great one. Plum and Wilson combined for 52 points to put this one away.

In addition to Plum’s 27 and Wilson’s 25, they had some great offense from Chelsea Gray and Dearica Hamby both with 16 points. Jackie Young finished with eight points. Hamby led the team in rebounds with 12 for some solid defensive play. This is the Aces third win in a row.

Next up for the Aces will be a game with the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM.