Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) blocks a shot on the Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) in the first half at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sat Aug 15, 2026 (AP News photo)
By. Rich Perez
Saturday night the Las Vegas Aces (24-12) lost to the Number one Minnesota Lynx (29-7) at Michelob ULTRA Arena 92-87. The Aces couldn’t knock off the best in the WNBA.
The first two quarters were played on an equal playing floor. The Lynx outscored the Aces in the first quarter 23-19 taking a four-point lead going into the second quarter. The Aces came right back outscoring the Lynx in the second 29-25 and going into the half this game was tied at 48.
It was anyone’s game going into the third quarter. The tide began to change in the third quarter as the Lynx began to distance themselves from the Aces. Las Vegas got sloppy mid-way through the quarter with far too many turnovers and as the quarter came to an end they trailed by 12 points 74-66.
The Aces pushed back in the fourth quarter and at 7:27 trailed by a single point 74-73. The Lynx put an end to the Aces’s push taking a 80-73 lead. Las Vegas had not shot well from beyond the arc which had been a part of the struggles shooting at only 31%.. Minnesota picked up their 15th straight road win.
GAME RECAP
The first quarter of this game could not have been closer with both teams battling for an early lead. The Aces had a very competitive first quarter but were not particularly efficient.
The Lynx were making the Aces work really hard for their shots. Las Vegas had some trouble generating some consistent offense. Despite trailing by four points after the first ten minutes of play this was very manageable.
Of the utmost importance to the Aces going into the second quarter was taking care of the ball and especially getting A’Ja Wilson more involved offensively. They would need to disrupt the Lynx’s offense.
Las Vegas did outscore the Lynx in the second quarter 29-25 which tied up the game going into the half 48-48, It was anyone’s game with Las Vegas remaining extremely competitive.
Mid-way through the third quarter the Aces played a sloppy stretch turning the ball over six times although the Aces had forced 13 Minnesota turnovers. As the quarter came to an end Minnesota had estalished a ten-point lead 74-64. Las Vegas had some work to do and only a single quarter to do it.
The Aces threatened in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Two minutes into the quarter Las Vegas had rallied cutting the Minnesota ten-point lead down to three points trailing 74-71.
The Aces continued to threaten but were missing a lot of open shots. Minnesota already had six players in double digits while Las Vegas had only two. They desperatly needed Jackie Young to step up in the final four minutes of the game.
The Aces continued to trail by five points but not make much more headway. The Lynx were relentless answering every Las Vegas basket with one of their own. With two minutes left on the clock the Lynx were clinging onto a 88-82 lead.
Down the stretch the Aces missed some critical shots spelling the difference in this game. A’Ja Wilson would hit two free throws but the 88-84 score with 1:09 left in the game was just enough to seal the deal for Minnesota. The final was 92-87 and the Lynx had won their 15th straight road win.
GAME NOTES
What was so frustrating for Las Vegas was the third quarter struggles. This game had been extremely competitive. The game was tied at the half 48-48, but the struggles in the third quarter were really hard to overcome.
Las Vegas tried to rally in the fourth coming as close as a single point but only won the quarter by four points 20-16, The Lynx’s defense had really tightened up in the third quarter which may have had a lot to do with some of the Las Vegas struggles.
The Aces could not turn their fourth quarter push into a complete comeback. Las Vegas got close in this game but Minnesota made some key defensive plays and free throws down the stretch to secure the win. The Aces were playing well enough to win this game at the half but but lost the game in the third quarter.
The high score in this game was the Aces A’Ja Wilson finishing with 32 points. Nalyssa Smith had a double double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. She played a great game. Chelsea Gray finished with12 points and Jewell Loyd had ten off the bench.
One of the big pluses for the Lynx was the consistent scoring from their starters. Every one of them had double digits with Olivia Miles’s 23 points the team high. Natasha Howard had a double double, 13 points with 11 rebounds.
It was a tough loss for Las Vegas coming so close but falling short. This will sting for awhile but throughout the game they had opportunities proving that they can hang with the best. They will be back on the court this coming Tuesday matching up with the Atlanta Dream. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
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