Tag: Seattle Storm

Aces Back On Winning Track Getting Past Dream 83-72

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Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes (15) drives on the Atlanta Dream at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Aug 30. 2024 (Las Vegas Aces photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Atlanta Dream got close numerous times throughout the game but the Las Vegas Aces hung tight winning the game 83-72. A’Ja Wilson had another stellar game with 15 rebounds and 26 points. Tiffany Hayes also had a terrific game with 10 rebounds and 20 points. Kelsey Plum chipped in 16 points.

Game recap: The Aces won both the first and the second quarters of this game. They led after the first ten minutes of play 22-18. The Dream played a very competitive second quarter although the Aces did win it 22-20.

Las Vegas led at halftime 44-38 and going into the second half of play this game was hardly decided. The Aces have in the past really turned it on in the second half, especially the fourth quarter although it did not go their way in their last game against the Wings. They were looking to close out this game in the second half.

Atlanta continued to fight hard in the third quarter and got as close as four points in the early minutes of the quarter. The Dream kept challenging throughout the quarter but the Aces stubbornly hung onto the lead and after three quarters had a 65-58 lead. A’Ja Wilson already had a double double with 13 rebounds and 20 points.

At 6:34 in the fourth quarter, the Aces had established a 73-64 lead. Atlanta called a time out when Las Vegas began to extend their lead and showed no signs of letting down. The Dream had a lot of work to do with little time left in the game. With 2:11 left in the game, the Aces were distancing themselves from the Dream leading 79-67. Las Vegas closed out this game winning by the score of 83-72.

The high for the Dream was Allisha Gray who finished with nine rebounds and 17 points. They had three players in double digits but they could not match A’Ja Wilson and company.

Game notes: After a disappointing loss to the Dallas Wings Tuesday night in a tight game 93-90, the Las Vegas Aces were looking to bounce back Friday night against the Dream. The Aces are currently fighting to move up in the standings; they are in fifth place right now. They are a half game behind the fourth place Seattle Storm. The Storm were defeated by the New York Liberty Friday night 98-85 allowing to the Aces to move within a half game on the Storm.

Sunday the Aces will take on the Mercury in Phoenix. The Mercury will be a tough game for the Aces. They come in with a 16-16 record and could really cause some problems for the Aces. The Aces are still not playing their best ball yet although they did play a better game Friday night. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 1:00 PM.

Aces Beat Storm In Thrilling Finish 84-79

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Las Vegas Aces Kelsey Plum (10) drives on the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge in Seattle on Wed Jul 10, 2024 (photo by the Las Vegas Aces)

By Barbara Mason

The Seattle Storm (14-8) came into their matchup with the Las Vegas Aces (14-7) Wednesday winning both the first and second quarters and leading at the half 36-30. A six-point lead by either of these teams is a drop in the bucket and precarious at best.

The Aces who most of the time prevail in the second half lived up to their reputation winning the third quarter 30-19 and taking the lead 60-55. The fourth quarter was dead even with both teams scoring 24 points and the Aces held tight winning their second game in a row 84-79.

Wednesday afternoon, the Aces met up north to take on the Storm in a battle of two of the leagues’ heavyweights. The matchup between A’Ja Wilson and Jewell Loyd had all the makings of a real clash and this game proved to be a fight to the end with Wilson with 24 points and Lloyd with 28 points.

The Aces were coming off a win over the Dallas Wings 104-85 and the Seattle Storm were also coming off a win against the Chicago Sky 84-71 in convincing wins for both teams. The two teams have their eyes on first place in the Western Conference and the Minnesota Lynx who occupy that position.

Game recap: The Seattle Storm came on strong in the first half of this game winning both the first and the second quarters and leading at the half 36-30. They would have their work cut out for them in the second half where the Las Vegas Aces typically go to town and this game was no different.

The Aces had an excellent third quarter which made all the difference in this game winning it 30-19 and taking a 60-55 lead into the fourth quarter. As the fourth quarter wore on those five points would be the deal breaker for the Storm.

The fourth quarter was a wild affair. The Storm pulled to within one point in the early minutes of the quarter but the Aces always had the answer. At 3:31 the Aces had a 76-67 lead and with 45 seconds left in the game, the Aces were hanging on with a 82-79 lead. A’Ja Wilson was fouled with 2.1 on the clock making both free throws for the final score of 84-79. It was a battle from start to finish with the Aces prevailing.

In another outstanding game for A’Ja Wilson, she had her first career 20-20 game being only the second player in Aces history to achieve that mark. She finished with 24 points and 20 rebounds and had a lot of help from Jackie Young who had 27 points and five rebounds.

Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray both had double digits. Kiah Stokes had seven rebounds continuing her stellar defensive effort. The milestone from Wilson was the 21st 20-20 game in WNBA history.

This was a real team effort with every player stepping up and hitting shots at critical moments. The Aces are now 8-1 since the return of Chelsea Gray. The Storm rallied throughout the fourth quarter but came up short every time.

Seattle did have a great opportunity to tie up this game in their final possession with Nneka Ogwumike missing an open three-pointer and that was pretty much the game.

The Storm had a great game from Jewell Loyd who scored 28 points and Ezi Magbegor had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Seattle. Skylar Diggins-Smith also had a nice game scoring 16 points with 4 rebounds.

This game could not have been closer. The Aces won the battle in the paint as well as the battle from downtown. Seattle had more turnovers than the Aces with 13 and the rebounds between the two teams were also close. 12,500 fans were in attendance at Climate Pledge Arena for this game.

The Aces will be back on the court next Friday night in Atlanta taking on the Dream. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 4:30 PM.

Aces Celebrate Return of Chelsea Gray With Win Over Storm 94-83

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Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) returned against the Seattle Storm at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Wed Jun 19, 2024 (AP News file photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (7-6) got back on the winning track beating the Seattle Storm (9-6) Wednesday night 94-83. The Storm had a lot of trouble handling the Las Vegas defense. Jackie Young had a monster game finishing with 32 points.

It was a great win for the team but the highlight of the evening was the long awaited return of Chelsea Gray. She did play limited minutes as expected but did finish with four rebounds and seven assists making an instant impact. As she works back into the system, she will continue to lift up her team.

Gray was very obviously working out for some time, as much as her injury would allow anyway and the Vegas fans showed their appreciation blowing up the sound meter. Her return has been so anticipated and now it has finally materialized.

Game recap: The Aces went right to work winning the opening quarter 29-16. Unlike their first matchup with the Storm, Las Vegas had solid control of this game in the first 12 minutes of play.

The Storm battled back but lost the second quarter by a basket 18-16. At the half the Aces had a 47-32 lead. Jackie Young had a terrific first half scoring 19 points. The Aces needed A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum to get going with both of them having a quiet couple of quarters. As expected Chelsea Gray had played limited minutes in the first half.

The Storm rallied to open the third quarter scoring the first four points of the quarter cutting the Aces lead but that would be all that the Aces would allow. Las Vegas turned it back on taking a 17 point lead 57-40 with 5:25 left on the clock.

The Aces were on a roll and refused to back down. When it looked like the Aces had it all going, the Storm mounted a comeback. After trailing by as much as 19 points they won the third quarter 22-19.

After three quarters, the Aces continued to lead but it had been cut to 66-54, a 12 point lead. The Storm had struggled against the Aces defense all game and with under four minute left in the game Seattle was running out of time if they wanted to turn this game.

The Aces had pushed their lead back out to a 20 point lead 84-64. The Storm continued to battle cutting the Aces lead from 20 points to thirteen 86-73 prompting Head Coach Becky Hammon to take their third timeout in the quarter. Seattle made it a little uncomfortable for the Aces at times but Las Vegas held fast to win the game 94-83.

Jackie Young had a terrific game finishing with 32 points. A’ja Wilson really turned it on in the second half shooting for 27 points and nine rebounds. Tiffany Hayes who started this game finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Kelsey Plum had double digits with 11 points after only having three at the half. She had eight assists. The Aces had outscored the Storm in the paint and from downtown. Both teams had 15 turnovers.

Game notes: The Las Vegas crowd went nuts erupting into cheers with a standing ovation celebrating the return of Chelsea Gray. The thunderous shrieks bounced off the walls of Michelob ULTRA Arena and the game had not even begun. This was Chelsea Gray’s first appearance this season. The Aces had been missing her all season and they have struggled in her absence.

Gray completes this team as she got four rebounds and seven assists. The Aces beat the Seattle Storm by 11 in Vegas and with Gray on the squad they begin their climb back into dominance. Her leadership and impeccable passing and timing was spot on from the get go.

Friday night, the Aces will be back in action in Vegas taking on the 13-1 Connecticut Sun. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Aces Outplayed by Storm Losing 78-65

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The Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson (22) takes a jump shot against the Seattle Storm’s Jordan Horston (23) at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Fri Jun 7, 2024 (Las Vegas Aces X photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (5-3) started slow in their matchup with the Seattle Storm (7-3) and they finished in the same manner losing 78-65. The Storm played a terrific game defensively crowding the paint which was successful in both halves. A’ja Wilson had another high scoring game with 29 points and 11 rebounds but it was not enough as Las Vegas lost their third game of the season. The Aces had pulled to within one point during the game but they could not contain the Storm trailing for the entire game

Game recap: Las Vegas got a slow start in the opening quarter. They were taking shots but they were just not dropping and the Storm was doing a great job crowding the paint. The Aces fell behind early trailing 15-7 but with 1:51 left in the quarter Las Vegas started to make a move and after the first ten minutes trailed by a single point 17-16.

The Storm really got going in the second quarter leading by ten points with under a minute left in the half. Seattle led at the half 36-28; the Storm had also won the second quarter 19-12. They went on a 17-6 run to end the quarter. Las Vegas needed to find a way to get into the paint, a favorite spot for A’ja Wilson to shoot from. Kelsey Plum also thrives driving the basket so there would be some work for Las Vegas in the second half of play.

The Storm continued to push their lead and with six minutes left in the third quarter led by the score of 46-35. The Aces began to chip away at the Seattle lead and with 3:03 left in the third trailed 48-44 in an unusually low scoring game. Las Vegas was looking to take the lead in the fourth quarter. They had won the third quarter 23-18 and trailed after three quarters 54-51 in a tight contest.

The Aces continued to hang around but were unable to take the lead. With 3:50 left in the game the Storm had taken a 66-59 lead. Jewell Lloyd was having a great game already with 25 points and the clock was winding down. The Aces were running out of time. Four of the Storm’s starters were in double digits and they were outplaying Las Vegas on both sides of the ball. Seattle continued to push their lead and with 1:33 left on the clock had extended their lead 74-61 and this game was all but over for the Aces. The final was 78-65.

Las Vegas got clobbered in the fourth quarter as Seattle went on to win the final quarter 24-14. The road to the playoffs is never easy as Las Vegas lost their third game of the season. A’ja Wilson had another amazing game with 29 points and 11 rebounds but it was not enough to get past the Storm. Jackie Young had a very quiet game with three points and four rebounds. Kelsey Plum had a good one with 18 points.

Post game notes: Friday night the Aces kicked off the weekend losing to the Storm at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Storm come into this game after beating the Phoenix Mercury Tuesday night 80-62. The Storm’s Ezi Magbegor scored 21 points in the victory. The Storm dealt with the “legendary” A’ja Wilson who reached an amazing milestone in their win against the Wings last Tuesday night and despite Wilson’s effort with 29 points took a tough loss Friday night.

She became the first WNBA player with at least 35 points, ten rebounds and five steals. She finished Thursday’s game with 36 points, 12 rebounds and 6 steals. Las Vegas couldn’t extend their win streak as the Storm upset the defending champions. It is tough going throughout a season with a bullseye on your back but that is exactly what the Aces are dealing with right now.

Saturday night Las Vegas will take on the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. The Aces did win their last matchup on May 18 89-82. They will be facing Dearica Hamby who averages 20.4 points per game for Los Angeles. Tipoff for this game is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Aces Back On Track Winning Two in a Row; Punishing Seattle Storm 103-77

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Read em and weep the Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson led with 30 points and 10 rebounds against the Seattle Storm at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Sat Sep 2, 2023 (@LVAces photo)

By Barbara Mason

Saturday night the Las Vegas Aces (32-6) took care of business against the Seattle Storm (11-26) on their home floor, Michelob ULTRA Arena with a 103-77 victory.

After trailing in the first quarter, the Aces went on a 5 and 0 run to take a 10-5 lead at 6:03. As the opening quarter came to an end Las Vegas led 25-19. As the regular season winds down it is clearly evident how much all of these teams have improved, all of them a threat. The Storm had a great defensive effort keeping the Aces out of the paint making life miserable for A’Ja Wilson.

At 7:17 in the second quarter this game was all square at 27-27. The Storm had nothing to lose as they continued to challenge the defending champions. The Storm’s Jewell Loyd was the first player hitting double digits as the Aces fought to contain her.

At the half the Aces had a 49-43 lead. A’Ja Wilson finished the half with 21 points and eight rebounds and the Storm’s Jewell Loyd had 20 in this highly competitive game.

The Aces continued to maintain the lead but the Storm remained just within striking distance. Las Vegas led after three quarters 75-67.

The Aces began to really pour it on in the fourth quarter. At 6:33 Las Vegas had a 87-69 lead as they began to pull away from the Storm. With five minutes left in the game the Aces had their largest lead of the game 91-71.

Both Wilson and Loyd had double doubles but the strength in the Las Vegas starting lineup was more than the Storm could handle. The Aces held onto that twenty point lead for the remainder of the game in fact the final was 103-77 as they blew the Storm out of the building in the final quarter. Las Vegas won the fourth quarter 28-10.

A’Ja Wilson finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Jackie Young came in with 22 points. Las Vegas will now get six well-deserved days off as they prepare to finish up the regular season in Phoenix. The entire team is now in playoff mode going forward.

Aces post game notes: The Aces got back on track Thursday night beating the Washington Mystics ending a two game losing streak. With two games left in the regular season, the Aces need to prepare for the upcoming post season. It would appear right now that the road to a second championship runs through New York. It was great to see Candace Parker back on the bench lending her invaluable experience with her teammates.

Las Vegas will be back on the court next Friday taking on the Mercury in Phoenix in back to back games to end the 2023 regular season. It is always fun to watch the expertise of Brittney Griner as she leads Phoenix in this game. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Aces Steam-Roll Storm 96-63

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The Las Vegas Aces bench celebrate another victory at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas against the Seattle Storm in WNBA action on Thu Jun 15, 2023 (@LVAces photo)

Aces Steam-Roll Storm 96-63

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Las Vegas Aces (8-1) took on the Seattle Storm (2-6) at Michelob ULTRA Arena and steam rolled over the Storm 96-63. The Aces have one loss on the season to the Connecticut Sun last Thursday night but came roaring back with a win on Sunday over the Chicago Sky (93-80).

Thursday night Aces recap: Mid-way through the first quarter of this game, the Storm were holding their own against the daunting starting roster of Las Vegas. With 5:39 left in the opening quarter Las Vegas held a slim lead 9-8. Turnovers were hurting the Aces with 5 in the first five minutes of play. This was not the way Las Vegas wanted to start the game.

The Storm was putting up some nice defense that was keeping them in the game forcing a lot of those Ace turnovers. After the first ten minutes the game was tied at 17. Las Vegas had to clean up the turnovers going into the second quarter. They finished the first quarter with seven.

The Aces only average 13 turnovers per game and they already had eight in the early minutes of the second quarter. Las Vegas went on a 5-0 run with 4:35 left in the half; really needing to balance the points lost by those lost possessions.

At the half Las Vegas had put the brakes on the turnovers with none since 7:57 in the second quarter. In the final minutes of the half, it was the Storm that were struggling with turnovers. The Aces had their largest lead of the game at the half 47-37.

Jackie Young steamrolled her way though the third quarter giving the Aces a 67-52 lead. Las Vegas took control of the quarter committing only one turnover, shooting at 50% from the field, and A’ja Wilson had her 16th double double. It was all Aces in the third quarter.

The Storm put up a good fight in the first half but just couldn’t sustain the effort they had to start the game. The Aces ran away with the game in the second half crushing Seattle in the fourth quarter winning it 29-11.

Jackie Young had the high for the game with 28 points and A’Ja Wilson finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Off the bench, Kierstan Bell had an outstanding game with 12 points. The Las Vegas bench had a cumulative 20 points to Seattle’s one point. The Aces really cleaned up the turnovers with only four in the second half.

The Aces will take the court again this Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Las Vegas Aces commentary with Barbara Mason: Aces tested by Hammons suspension got a passing grade on opening night in Seattle

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Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) pushes through the defense of Seattle Storm guards Jordan Horston, left, and Jewell Loyd, right, during the first half at Mandalay Events Sports Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Seattle. (AP News photo)

Aces Shine Dominating Storm In Season Opener 105-64

By Barbara Mason

This weekend the WNBA regular season got underway with a number of games already played on Friday night. Saturday the defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces (1-0) took the court against the Seattle Storm (0-1). The Aces have had a challenging off-season going back to early 2023.

There have been serious allegations that has certainly cast a dark cloud over the start of the season for this team. Head Coach Becky Hammon will miss the first two games due to a suspension handed down by the WNBA for violating workplace policies. There is still a lot more to all of this than meets the eye. In spite of the distractions of the Hammon suspension the Aces pulled off a opening night victory at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle 105-64.

This has most certainly been a distraction for the Aces as this is only one of many issues they were facing during the off- season. That being said, this opening game is an important one that will shed a lot of light on the entire situation and how this team will handle all of this going forward. There has to be one focus for the team right now and that is their quest for another title.

The opener against the Storm will give the Aces a lot of answers and they will have A’Ja Wilson, the reigning MVP in last years championships, and company divulging the queries that many have right now. With so much spotlight on all of this it’s time to flip the script and turn it in the direction of the game-it’s time to play ball.

As the first quarter came to an end the Aces held an 18-14 lead struggling from the floor but still able to maintain the lead for most of the quarter. Kelsey Plum who had shoulder surgery in the off-season had eight points in the quarter as did Jackie Young.

In the second quarter the Aces turned on the offensive firepower that is their trademark and less than two minutes into the quarter had a 25-14 lead with a lot of game still to be played. With less than two minutes left in the half, the Storm went to the line for the first time in the game.

The Aces distanced themselves from the Storm in the second quarter leading at the half 43-28. Las Vegas had outplayed the Storm at every vantage; rebounding, points in the paint and from the perimeter. The Aces chemistry played a huge part in the second quarter of this game and pushing the lead to 15 Las Vegas continued to extend their lead in the third quarter forging ahead to a 74-48 lead.

Seattle’s Jewell Loyd had her teams high with 15 but she was the only player with double digits after three quarters. The Aces already had four players in double digits and A’Ja Wilson was having an impressive defensive game with 13 rebounds.

The entire Aces starting lineup finished with double digits. In the fourth quarter the Storm had their first second chance basket just indicative of the Las Vegas defensive dominance. in this game. The final was 42 point blowout. The offensive chemistry and the defensive brilliance was just to hot to handle for Seattle.

The Aces had 50 rebounds to the Storm 32, almost 55% from the field and over 60% from beyond the arc. It was about as solid as you could get. A’Ja Wilson clocked her 55th double double, a franchise record. There remained little doubt regarding how the team would play in the absence of their coach Becky Hammond. It speaks volumes of the chemistry that this team has in place.

The Aces will head back in California to take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

Aces start season with blowout win over Seattle 105-64

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Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) blocks the shot of Seattle Storm guard Kia Nurse (0) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

By Shawn McCullough

The defending WNBA world champions had no problem rolling over the Storm in Seattle, 105-64.

Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum each led the Aces with 23 points, while A’ja Wilson added 13 points and 13 rebounds.

“It’s not easy,” said Wilson despite the blowout win. “We’ve got newcomers that have to get used to the system. We ourselves as the core are still trying to get to know and jell with everyone. I think it’s just going to come with time.”

The Aces were without head coach Becky Hammon, who is currently serving a two-game suspension from the WNBA for violating league rules regarding impermissible player benefits and workplace policies.

Tyler Marsh was the acting head coach.

“I’m a coach’s kid, so I grew up in coaching,” Marsh said. “For my dad to be out here just to see me coach and for my wife and my son to be out here, that’s the sentimental part for me.”

Newly acquired center Candace Parker debuted with 12 points.

The Aces will next travel to Los Angeles on Thursday to face the Sparks.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 54.8% from the field.
Las Vegas went 11 for 18 from three-point range.
The Aces starting five scored 85 of the 105 total points.

Game Starters:

C – 3 Candace Parker
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Riquna Williams, Out, Lower Back

Seattle Storm Squeak By Las Vegas 76-73

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The Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) takes a shot against the Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor (13) in the WNBA semifinal playoff game in Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas on Sun Aug 28, 2022 (AP News photo)

Seattle Storm Squeak By Las Vegas 76-73

By Barbara Mason

Going into this WNBA semifinal, the Las Vegas Aces were playing some excellent basketball. Their opponent the Seattle Storm had beaten Las Vegas on June 29 but since then Las Vegas has dominated. This will be a battle that everyone expected to see between the two top teams in the Western Conference.

Breanna Steward and the Storm came out strong in the first half. They overwhelmed the Aces in the first quarter 26-15. The Aces Chelsea Gray kept the game manageable, Las Vegas winning the second quarter 21-17. At the half the Storm held a 43-36 lead.

After the third quarter the Aces had begun to make a move winning the quarter 21-17 but still trailing 60-57 after three. Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young all were in double digits after three and Las Vegas would have to make a real push in the fourth quarter.

With six minutes left in the game, the Aces took their first lead 65-64. The Storm got a bit sloppy in the final quarter with turnovers but refused to take their foot off the pedal. With 34 seconds left in the game the Storm had taken a three point lead. The Aces had made some costly mistakes in the final minutes that really hurt them. The final was 76-73 in favor of the Storm in game one of this series.

Jewell Loyd finished with 26 points and Breanna Steward had 24 for an outstanding offensive effort. Tina Charles had 18 rebounds and 13 points in this hard fought game.

The Aces Chelsea Gray had 21 points followed by Kelsey Plum with 20. Las Vegas came up just short losing a tough one at home.

Game two will be on Wednesday night with tipoff at 7:00 PM with the Storm leading 1-0.

Aces Come Out On Top In Hard Fought Battle versus the Storm 88-81

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The largest crowd in Seattle Storm history turns out to see the Storm’s Sue Bird’s retirement as the visiting Las Vegas Aces came out on top winning the contest at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Sun Aug 7, 2022 (AP News photo)

Aces Come Out On Top In Hard Fought Battle versus the Storm 88-81

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the Las Vegas Aces (22-19) took on the Seattle Storm (20-12). The Aces have won five of their last seven games and sit in first place in the Western Conference. In their last outing the Aces lost a close one to the Mystics 82-80 and were looking to get back on the winning track. The Storm have been a bit up and down in their last seven games winning only three of them. It would prove to be a challenge for both teams.

The Aces were leaning heavily on Kelsey Plum and A’Ja Wilson. The Storm’s Breanna Stewart was a real challenge for the Las Vegas defense. This turned out to be a closely contested game between the first and second place teams in the Western Conference.

The game could have not have been closer as the first quarter came to an end. The Aces led 19-18 in the opening quarter in a hard fought game. At the half the Aces led by a single point 44-43. Both teams scored 25 points in the second quarter in this Western Conference battle.

Las Vegas took a slight lead as the third quarter came to an end 68-63. As the fourth quarter wore one the Aces extended their lead with under three minutes left in the game 81-74. Las Vegas finished off the Storm in the final minutes 89-81 for a well deserved win.

Both of these teams fought to the end in this game It was the brilliant shooting of A’Ja Wilson that made all the difference with 29 points and lots of help from teammates Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. Kiah Stokes finished the game with eight rebounds.

Next up for the Aces will be on Tuesday in a matchup with the Atlanta Dream in Vegas. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT