Tag: WNBA

Aces Head Into WNBA Finals With Win Over the Wings 64-61

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Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally, left, and Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young scramble for the ball during the first half at College Park Center in Arlington on Fri Sep 29, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Las Vegas Aces (34-6) took on the Dallas Wings (22-18) looking to finish up this semi-final series and head into yet another WNBA Finals. The Aces have had a relatively easy path so far in these playoffs.

The Wings came out with a game plan which forced the Aces into turnovers and took A’Ja Wilson completely out of the game. Dallas forced the Aces into some very uncharacteristic play. Dallas’ rebounds through three quarters were (36) to the Aces 28.

It was all a part of the plan. Forcing the turnovers was also working for the Wings. Las Vegas had lost the ball 17 times with 6:31 left in the game. The Aces got back on track in the final minutes to take this one home in a real nail-biter 64-61.

Dallas led after the first quarter by a slim margin of 18-16. At the half, the Wings led by 36-31. The Wings were starting to put the hurt on Las Vegas. They had contained A’Ja Wilson. At the half she was shooting single digits as was the rest of the team. It was the slowest of starts for Las Vegas running into a determined Dallas team.

The Aces won the third quarter 18-15 and this game was going down to the wire. The Wings held onto a 51-49 lead after three quarters in this low scoring game.

A’Ja Wilson finally reached the double digit mark in the fourth quarter as did teammates Chelsea Gray, and Kelsey Plum. Wilson continued to struggle having committed eight turnovers herself and only managing 13 points with 2:28 left in the game.

The score was tied 61-61 as the clock approached two minutes. This game was going down to the wire. With 31.8 left on the clock the Aces had a one-point lead 62-61. They had a great opportunity to extend their lead but Chelsea Gray threw the ball out of bounds.

The last possession would win this game. A jump ball ended up in the hands of the Wings with 9.0 left on the clock. Dallas missed the final shot and in the process fouled Jackie Young who made both free throws. With 2.7 seconds left on the clock Las Vegas led 64-61. The Aces had mounted an 11-0 run to take the game and the series. Las Vegas had earned a trip to the finals 64-61.

This game was a dogfight. The Aces struggled from start to finish but pulled it all together at 4:59 in the fourth quarter. Dallas did not score a single point in the final (4:59) minutes. The Wings had forced 20 Las Vegas turnovers.

Dallas had a great game plan and executed it on point until the final minutes of the game. The 64 points scored in this game were the fewest in Aces franchise history. You have to give a lot of credit to the Dallas Wings. They played hard and very nearly pulled off the upset in game three.

The Aces had four players in double digits. A’Ja Wilson had a double double with 13 rebounds and 13 points but it was Chelsea Gray who had the high with 15 points. Both Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young each had 11 points.

This was not even close to what we are accustomed to seeing from this Las Vegas team and as A’Ja Wilson said that is just the way things go sometimes. This certainly is something that they want to get out their system before they head into the finals on Sunday October 8th. The winner between the Liberty and the Sun may be determined this coming Sunday with New York leading the series 2-1.

Aces one win away from second straight WNBA Finals, beat Wings, 91-84

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Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson (22) with Wings Natasha Howard (7) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. (Shawn McCullough/Sports Radio Service)

By Shawn McCullough

LAS VEGAS–The Aces improved to 4-0 in the WNBA Playoffs with a 91-84 win over the Dallas Wings at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“We played a great game and it was a good win,” said A’ja Wilson.

Wilson recorded a double-double, scoring 30 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

“She [Wilson] has been exceptional,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “She got better in the offseason.  She is just special.”

“She [Wilson] has a lot of things in her bag,” said Wings head coach Latricia Trammell. “We have to keep her off the free throw line.”

Guard Chelsea Gray scored 23 points and dished out eight assists, while Kelsey Plum nailed four three-pointers.

“I try to be the calm within the storm,” said Gray. “It’s calling the right plays and calming everyone down.”

The Aces lead the best of five series against Dallas, 2-0, and need just one more win to advance to the WNBA Finals for the second straight season.

“It’s playoff basketball,” said Wilson. “A lot of people wish they were where we are today.”

The Aces will next travel to Dallas for game four of the series on Friday.

“It is extremely hard to close out a team, especially on their home court,” said Hammon. “We still have a lot more work to do and I expect it to be an all-out war in Dallas.”

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 46.2% from the field.
Las Vegas was out-rebounded by the Wings, 40-39.
The Aces starters scored 88 of the total 91 points.

Game Starters:

C – 41 Kiah Stokes
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Candace Parker, Out – Foot

Aces In Search of Second Title – Handle Sky in the Opening Round 87-59

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Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) celebrates after blocking a Chicago Sky shot during the second half of Game 1 of a WNBA basketball playoffs at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Wed Sep 13, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

It all begins tonight as the Las Vegas Aces (34-6) take on the Chicago Sky (18-22) in the first game of their first round matchup. It has been a record setting year for the Aces being the first team to reach 30 games in a season finishing with a 34-6 record. The Aces took care of business in game 1 with a convincing 87-59 win to go up 1-0 in the best of three series on Wednesday night.

Las Vegas led the WNBA in offensive and defensive efficiency. They have an amazing starting roster with four players scoring 15 plus points per game. A’Ja Wilson leads the pack with 22.9, Kelsey Plum with 18.7, Jackie Young 17.6 and Chelsea Gray with 15.3.

That is about as solid a roster that you will find anywhere in the WNBA. They had eleven game with 100 plus points which is the most in WNBA history. This team has all the accolades but what they are aiming for right now is a second title.

Without that second title none of these really matter. This is just the start and there is a long road ahead of them but they are primed and ready for the challenge.

The Aces got a nice start and had built a 27-15 lead as the first quarter came to an end. The Sky got into some foul trouble in the opening quarter with Alanna Smith already committing three. Going into the second quarter, Chicago had missed their last eight shots.

Every time the Sky made the slightest of rallies, the Aces had the answer as they continued to extend their lead. Chicago could not keep up with the high-powered Aces and at the half Las Vegas had a 53-36 lead. The Aces had won the quarter 26-21 a much closer quarter than the opener.

Las Vegas kept the pressure on containing the Sky offensively and defensively continuing to extend their lead and after three quarters led 70-46. Wilson, Gray, Plum and Young all had double digits and Kiah Stokes who always contributes defensively had ten rebounds.

Las Vegas continued to dominate the paint. Kahleah Copper was the only Chicago player with double digits through three quarters.

With 7:46 left in the game Coach Becky Hammon began to bench starting players, A’Ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum were the first to get a breather. At 5:44 left on the clock the Aces had built a 30 point lead 80-50. The Aces won the fourth quarter, in fact, they won all four quarters of this game. The final was 87-59 in favor of the defending champions.

Chicago would finish with only player, Kahleah Copper, in double digits. The Aces had four players in double digits and bench player Alysha Clark had a huge game with 13 points and four rebounds.

Chelsea Gray had the high points for Las Vegas with 20 points. Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, and A’Ja Wilson all had a double digit game and Kiah Stokes had 14 rebounds. The Aces dominated this game from start to finish.

The two teams will get a few days off before going into game two of this series. That second game will again be played in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for Sunday 9/17 at 12:00 PM. A win in Sunday’s game will win the series for the Aces and entry into the second round of the playoffs.

Aces Nab Top Seed With Win Over Mercury 100-85

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Las Vegas Aces take the floor against the Phoenix Mercury at the ULTRA Michelob in Las Vegas on Sun Sep 10, 2023 (@LVAces photo)

By Barbara Mason

A’Ja Wilson led the Las Vegas Aces (34-6) to close out the season beating the Phoenix Mercury (9-31) 100-85 wrapping up the top-seed in this year’s playoffs.

Recap: The Las Vegas Aces knew going into this game that with the New York loss earlier in the day that they had the top seed going into the WNBA playoffs that get underway this Wednesday.

This was no longer a must win for the Aces but it was for sure a nice warm up going into the post-season. The Aces won the opening quarter 28-23. They extended their lead going into halftime winning the second quarter 25-18 and leading after two quarters 53-41. At the half Wilson had already scored 22 points and she was just getting started.

Las Vegas continued to grind away in the third winning the quarter 30-18 now leading 83-59. The Mercury played hard in the fourth quarter winning it 26-17. The Aces had built up a 24-point lead after three quarters and Phoenix was not able to make a dent in the final score which was 100-85.

A’Ja Wilson scored 36 points making a very real case for a repeat MVP this season. She also had 8 rebounds. Teammate Kelsey Plum also had a terrific game finishing with 30 points shooting six from beyond the arc.

Chelsea Gray had five 3s and 21 points along with eight assists. Las Vegas shot 53% hitting the century mark for the 11th time this season. This was a real momentum builder as they head into the post-season full of confidence.

The Aces will take on the Chicago Sky for game one Wed Sep 13 in the opening round of the best-of-three series of the 2023 WNBA playoffs. Tipoff for the first game of the series will be at 7:00 PM at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Handles Phoenix 94-73

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Las Vegas Aces Kelsey Plum (10) and guard Sydney Colson (51) exchanges hand shakes as they battle the Phoenix Mercury at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Fri Sep 8, 2023 (@LVAces photo)

By Barbara Mason

Friday night the Vegas Las Aces (33-6) took on the Phoenix Mercury (9-30) and after a slow start crushed the Mercury 94-73. The Aces had led by as much as 30 points in the fourth quarter.

The Aces got a slow start which has plagued them throughout the season. After one quarter the game was tied 20-20. Las Vegas got things rolling in the second quarter squelching the Mercury 28-11, led at the half 48-31 and after playing a very close first quarter the Aces had this game well in hand.

The Mercury played a better third quarter but could not break the stranglehold Las Vegas had on this game and after three the Aces led 72-48. The Mercury won the fourth quarter 25-22. Phoenix did try to rally in the final quarter after trailing by thirty points but just did not have the fire power of Las Vegas only making a small dent in the Las Vegas lead.

A’Ja Wilson finished the game with another electric performance scoring 30 points with nine rebounds. Kelsey Plum had 18 points with Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray both scoring double digits. Both teams protected the ball well finishing with only ten turnovers apiece. The Aces shot at 54.3% from the field and the Mercury came in with 34.7% which was the difference in this game.

Aces post game notes: The WNBA 2023 season is rapidly winding down with two games left in the regular season. The Aces have dominated all season and now look forward to the playoffs. There was however, one team that took Las Vegas to task beating them in three out of four games in the month of August and that was the New York Liberty. The Liberty are nipping at the Aces heels with a 32-7 record, both teams vying for home court advantage.

The Aces will play their last game of the regular season on Sunday taking on the Mercury in front of their home crowd at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Tipoff in that final game is scheduled for 12:00 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 snap two game losing streak, beat Mystics, 84-75

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Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson (22) guards Mytics’ Elena Delle Donne (11) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay on Thursday, August 31, 2023. (Shawn McCullough/Sports Radio Service)

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces got back on the winning track with an 84-75 win over the Washington Mystics at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“We got tired of losing,” said forward A’ja Wilson. “It feels like we have lost 30 in a row.”

Wilson led the Aces with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

“My teammates just found me in spots,” said Wilson. “I was just going with the flow and my teammates helped me.”

Chelsea Gray scored 21 points, while guard Kelsey Plum registered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“She [Plum] has multiple ways to impact the game,” said head coach Becky Hammon. “She was just dicing people and had all the right reads tonight.”

The Aces recently have struggled, losing three of their last five games.

“Us going through this roller coaster of games and weathering the storm, helps us to get ready for playoffs,” said Wilson.

With the win, the Aces improved to 31-6 on the season heading into their next game at home on Saturday against the Seattle Storm.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 46.8% from the field.
Las Vegas went 10 for 28 from three-point range.
The Mystics out-rebounded the Aces, 37-33.

Game Starters:

C – 41 Kiah Stokes
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Candace Parker, Out – Foot

Liberty dominate Aces, 94-85

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Sabrina Ionescu hits one of her 5 made 3-pointers against the Aces on Monday. (Michelle Farsi/Getty Images)


By Shawn McCullough

The Aces dropped their second straight game in a 94-85 loss to the Liberty in New York.

“Defense is a huge difference when the shots are not falling on the offensive end,” said forward A’ja Wilson. “In every loss, it seems to be one quarter that bites us.”

That quarter was the second quarter when the Liberty outscored the Aces, 25-16.

“I felt we made a lot of mistakes defensively in the second quarter,” said head coach Becky Hammon.

Las Vegas got 24 points from guard Jackie Young, while Wilson added 23 points and eight rebounds.

“We have been in a shooting slump for the last few games, but we have to rely more on our defense,” said Wilson.

The Aces and the Liberty are now tied, 2-2, in the regular season series, which has turned into a big rivalry this season.

“This is when you shine the brightest,” said Wilson on the rivalry. “For us to be part of a rivalry, we take that into perspective and we try to shine the brightest.”

With the loss, the Aces fell to 30-6 on the season heading into their next game at home on Thursday against the Washington Mystics.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 44.9% from the field.
Las Vegas went 9 for 23 from three-point range.
The Liberty’s biggest lead in the game was 19 points.

Game Starters:

C – 41 Kiah Stokes
F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Candace Parker, Out – Foot

Aces Fall to Washington Mystics 78-62

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US Vice President Kamala Harris is presented with a Las Vegas Aces jersey from the Aces A’ja Wilson at the White House on Fri Aug 25, 2023 to celebrate last season’s Aces WNBA championship victory. Harris who gets the number 49 for being the US’s 49th vice president. The Aces played against the Washington Mystics the next night Sat Aug 26, 2023 in DC (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Aces (30-5) are heading into the final stretch of the regular season. They are fresh off a visit to the White House yesterday welcomed by Vice-President Kamala Harris. She led a celebration for the 2022 WNBA champions.

She was full of praise for not only the grit and determination that they showcased on the court but also the ferocious advocacy in support of colleague Brittney Griner during her detention in Russia. It was a memorable and emotional day for the team. Saturday it was back to business as the team took on the Washington Mystics (16-18) and took their fifth loss of the season losing to the Mystics 78-62.

Two minutes into the game, the Aces were finally able to get up on the board but had some ground to make up trailing 13-2 at 5:54. It was another slow start for Las Vegas. These slow starts have become uncomfortable lately, and with the playoffs just around the corner they will want to clean that up.

They want to ensure a number one seed when they do go into the playoffs. As the first quarter came to an end, the Aces had fought off the slow start. After having trailed by as much as eleven points, they now trailed by a deuce 19-17. The Mystics had applied pressure to the Aces on the interior and it was working.

At 7:18 the Aces hit the first basket of the second quarter to tie up the game at 19. They did go on a 6-0 run in the quarter but it was not at all the quality basketball that we typically see from this team.

They did lead at halftime 30-27 and had held the Mystics to an 8 point quarter but they had 13 turnovers in the half which was doing them no favors. It was not a great half for Las Vegas. The Mystics continued to control the paint and between the turnovers and missed shots, it was not a great first half for the Aces.

Neither team had players that came away from the first two quarters with double digits. It was just a slow game with inconsistent shooting from both teams. It was an interesting first half with the Aces only shooting at 33% to the Mystics 25%.

Las Vegas was at 18.8% from beyond the arc while the Mystics were 0 of 13. It was just a slow as molasses kind of game. The second half would show if the Aces could continue the second half success that they had shown all season.

The Mystics continued with the game plan that had brought so much success in the first half. After three quarters Washington held a slim lead 52-48. The Mystics had held the highest scoring team in the WNBA to under 50 points after three. Washington won the third quarter 25-18. The Aces had a single quarter to turn this game around.

At 7:38 the Mystics had a 57-50 lead and never looked back. With under five minutes left in the game, Las Vegas trailed by a significant number 63-52. The Aces couldn’t buy a bucket in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

With three minutes left in the game, Las Vegas was in trouble trailing 66-54. The final was 78-62 in favor of Washington who had everything to play for sitting in eighth place in the standings.

This was the second lowest scoring game of the season for the Aces. They had dropped a game earlier in the season to the Liberty 99-61. They are looking very vulnerable right now which is concerning. They finished with 13 turnovers and they were outscored from the field and from beyond the arc. The Mystics had a great game plan and executed it flawlessly.

Monday night Las Vegas will take on the New York Liberty as they continue to play on the road. This will not be an easy task for the team and they certainly have a lot to clean up. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM.

A’Ja Wilson’s 50+ Points Dominates the Dream 112-100

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The Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson (22) outscores everyone defeating the Atlanta Dream in WNBA action at the Gateway Center at College Park GA (@LVAces photo)

A’Ja Wilson’s 50+ Points Dominates the Dream 112-100

By Barbara Mason

Tuesday evening the Las Vegas Aces (29-4) traveled to Atlanta to take on the Dream (16-17) and the Aces A’Ja Wilson led with an amazing 50 point to defeat the Dream 112-110.

Tuesday game wrap: It was a hard-fought battle in the opening quarter with the Dream winning the first quarter by the slimmest of margins 34-33.

The battle continued into halftime with the Aces this time leading by the slimmest of margins 56-55. A’Ja Wilson was having a terrific first half with 22 points as was Kelsey Plum with 14 points. Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young both had an unusually quiet first half.

The Aces turned this game around as they went into the third quarter. They won the third quarter 26-13 leading 82-68 going into the fourth quarter. Both Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young started hitting shots and the Aces had all the momentum going on in this game.

Las Vegas really poured it on in the fourth quarter. Wilson continued to completely dominate this game finishing with 53 points. It was simply another amazing game from Las Vegas. We have seen these second half dominations and they are not done with a few more games left in the season.

Las Vegas only had nine turnovers, so great ball protection. The two teams were close when it came to points from the floor; the Aces had 50.7% and the Dream came in with 49.3%. When you look at the stats these two teams seemed, by the numbers, to be pretty evenly matched. It was the play by A’Ja Wilson that put this game on ice.

Aces post game notes: They dropped their last game last Saturday losing to the Los Angeles Sparks 78-72 in a crazy low scoring game. The Dream continued their losing streak extending it to 14 straight games to the Aces. Las Vegas bounced back with a win. The Aces embarked on a four game road trip that begun in Atlanta Tuesday.

Thursday evening the Aces will meet the Chicago Sky, still playing on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.