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Las Vegas Aces game wrap: Aces Breeze Past Sparks 99-75

Published on June 30, 2021 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

The score says it all as the Las Vegas Aces improve their record to 12-4 over the Los Angeles Sparks (6-9) on Wed Jun 30, 2021 in Los Angeles (@LVAces photo)

Aces Breeze Past Sparks 99-75

By Barbara Mason

After winning an epic battle against the Storm on Sunday in overtime the 11-4 Aces took on the 6-8 Sparks Wednesday. The Sparks have been struggling and are currently in last place in the Western Conference.

While on paper the Aces have the edge it’s not what team you are playing but how they are playing in any single game. That’s what upsets are made of. In any given game anything can happen but the Aces were coming off an incredible high after their win against the Storm on Sunday and they would be very difficult to beat.

The Aces carried that confidence into the game today against the Sparks and they proved from the get go that they would be a challenge. They had a healthy lead after one quarter outscoring the Sparks 28-19 setting the tone for this game. They had a 56-37 lead at the half and looked invincible.

The Sparks played a close third quarter but just could not outscore the Aces. Las Vegas had built such an insurmountable lead at the half that Los Angeles had little to no chance of catching them. Again the Sparks played a close fourth quarter but time had run out on Los Angeles. The final score was 99-75 elevating the Aces record to 12-4 in the Western Conference.

Jackie Young had the high score for Las Vegas with 18 points followed by A’ja Wilson with 17. Amanda Zahul had an amazing 22 points for Los Angeles but it just was not enough to get by the conference leader.

On Friday night the Aces will again meet the Sparks hoping for another win and perhaps claiming sole possession of first place. Tipoff will be at 7:00.

Las Vegas Aces post game wrap: Las Vegas Wins Epic Battle Over Seattle 95-92

Published on June 27, 2021 by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

Las Vegas Aces’ Liz Cambage (8) takes it to the hoop right between Seattle Storm’s Jewell Loyd (24) and Mercedes Russell (2) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Sun Jun 27, 2021 (AP News photo)

Las Vegas Wins Epic Battle Over Seattle 95-92

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the two powerhouses of the WNBA met in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Presently the Seattle Storm have the best record in the WNBA at 12-3 and the Aces have the second best at 10-4. The game promise to be a battle down to the final buzzer.

Back on May 15th the Aces lost to the Storm 97-83 although three days later they settled the score winning 96-80. Could this be the WNBA Finals preview? With the level these two teams are playing at we could have another Storm vs Aces matchup.

Last season these two teams met in the final with Seattle coming out on top winning the first three games of the finals; claiming their fourth title in franchise history. This would be the final meeting of these two teams in the regular season.

Early on the Storm lived up to their outstanding record outscoring the Aces in the first quarter 21-16. The second quarter was closely contested with each team shooting 21 points. The half-time score was 42-37.

The consistent play of the Storm was a major factor in the first half. Breanna Stewart finished the half with 12 points. For the Aces it was A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young each with 8 points in the first two quarters.

The Storm lit up the third quarter with 3-pointers and steals outscoring the Aces by a narrow margin 23-21. With one quarter in the game, the Storm led by the score of 65-58. The Aces got within two points of the Storm but were unable take the lead in the second half.

Las Vegas would lean heavily on A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young to get past the Storm in the final quarter. Turnovers had hurt Las Vegas at times in this game and they desperately needed to clean that up.

The Storms Breanna Stewart was relentless in the fourth quarter shooting three-pointers at will. With 5:42 left in the game the Aces took their first lead of the game 75-74. The final minutes of the game saw both teams trade leads and with 1:07 left in the game Las Vegas had a slim two-point lead 84-82. There were five lead changes in the final four minutes of play.

The clock would expire with the teams tied at 84 and would go into overtime. With 26.4 seconds left in overtime the Aces had a 91-90 lead. After trailing for most of the game Las Vegas pulled out the win 95-92 in an epic game.

After a tough game losing to Minnesota the Aces fought through fatigue to win this one. A’ja Wilson came away with 22 points and Chelsea Gray with 21 points as well as the game winner. Off the bench for the Aces Kelsey Plum had 15 points. The Storms Breanna Stewart had had 35 points for the game.

Next up for the Aces will be the Sparks this Wednesday night. Tipoff is slated for 7:30.

Aces win fifth straight with 103-76 victory over the Liberty

Published on June 17, 2021 by psushawnLeave a comment

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces took the second of back-to-back games against the New York Liberty in a 103-76 win at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay.

Las Vegas took control of the game in the first quarter with an 11-0 run to end the first and never looked back.

Six Aces scored in double figures including Kelsey Plum, who came off the bench and scored 18 points with seven assists.

A’ja Wilson scored 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while Dearica Hamby led the team in rebounds with 12.

With the win, the Aces improved to 10-3 and remained 1.5 games behind the Seattle Storm atop the WNBA standings.

The Aces will have some time off now and will next play on Friday, June 25^th in Minneapolis against the Lynx.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 44.2% from the field, while holding New York to just 31.3%.
Las Vegas pulled down 52 rebounds in the game, while the Liberty had 36.
The Liberty were led by starting guard Betnijah Laney with 20 points.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 3 Riquna Williams
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Angel McCoughtry—Out, right ACL

Aces blow out Liberty, 100-78

Published on June 15, 2021 by psushawnLeave a comment

Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) dribbles around New York Liberty guard/forward Betnijah Laney (44) during a WNBA game at Michelob Ultra Arena on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces won their fourth straight game in a 100-78 victory over the New York Liberty at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay.

The Liberty kept the game close in the third quarter, but the Aces pulled away in the fourth with a 10-2 run to open the quarter.

Las Vegas got a career high 32 points off the bench from guard Kelsey Plum, who went 11 for 16 from the field, including 3 for 6 from three-point range.

Liz Cambage recorded a double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down 11 rebounds, while Dearica Hamby added 16.

Last season’s WNBA MVP, A’ja Wilson, scored just 10 points.

With the win, the Aces improved to 9-3 and moved into sole possession of second place in the WNBA standings, 1.5 games behind the Seattle Storm.

The Aces will again play the New York Liberty at home on Thursday.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 55.6% from the field.
Las Vegas turned the ball over 15 times.
The Liberty were led by Jazmine Jones off the bench with 17 points.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 3 Riquna Williams
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Angel McCoughtry—Out, right ACL

Aces stumble late, but still beat Wings, 85-78

Published on June 13, 2021 by psushawnLeave a comment

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces saw an eight point lead dwindle down to two with 4:15 remaining, but went on a 10-5 run to beat the Dallas Wings 85-78 at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay.

“If we take care of business during the course of the game, it never would have come down to having to make some shots down the stretch,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 28 points and 14 rebounds, while Liz Cambage added 14.

“This is a big win,” said Wilson. “Dallas is coming off a win streak and they made us work, but we still need to do better.”

After beating the Washington Mystics back on Saturday, June 5^th, the Aces had seven days to recuperate from a three game road trip.

“We had been on a long road trip and then had eight days off, so it was good to get a win and continue to get better,” said guard Kelsey Plum.

The Aces got 13 points off the bench from Plum.

With the win, the Aces improved to 8-3 heading into back to back home games against the New York Liberty starting on Tuesday.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 46.9% from the field.
Las Vegas turned the ball over 16 times.
Forward Satou Sabally led the Wings with 24 points.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 3 Riquna Williams
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Angel McCoughtry—Out, right ACL

Aces hold off Mystics late, 96-93

Published on June 5, 2021 by psushawnLeave a comment

Photo credit: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

By Shawn McCullough

The Washington Mystics rolled off a 16-6 run in the last four minutes, but the Aces held on for a 96-93 win in Washington, D.C.

“It was a tough one today,” said center Liz Cambage. “We just stayed together and got it done.”

With the game tied with one minute left in the game, A’ja Wilson pulled down a huge offensive rebound and hit the shot to put the Aces in front for good.

“We got good looks down the stretch, but we made the plays when we had to to end the game,” said Laimbeer.

Wilson went just 3 for 14 from the field for 15 points, but three other players scored 20 or more points including Liz Cambage with 24.

The Aces finished off a tiring three game road trip, going 2-1 in that stretch.

“Solid win for us on the road,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “We are a tired basketball team right now, but we gutted this one out.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 7-3 heading into a week-long break before facing the Dallas Wings at home on Sunday, June 13^th.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 43.4% from the field.
The Aces out-rebounded the Mystics, 44-35.
A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage combined for 26 total rebounds.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 3 Riquna Williams
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Angel McCoughtry—Out, right ACL

Aces get by Liberty, 94-82

Published on June 3, 2021 by psushawnLeave a comment

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces bounced back from a tough loss in Connecticut with a 94-82 win over the New York Liberty at Barclays Center.

“We won the game, that’s a positive,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “We made some mistakes in this game and we didn’t play smart. Overall, we have to play smarter.”

The Aces outscored the Liberty 14-3 in the last four minutes of the game.

“We started playing Aces basketball,” said Laimbeer. “Getting rebounds was the key to the last four minutes.”

The Aces were led by forward A’ja Wilson who scored 30 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.

“We are still trying to find our identity,” said Wilson. “We let them back into the game, but we grinded.”

Jackie young added 16 points, while Chelsea Gray scored 11 and dished out nine assists.

“Proud of this team and their fight,” said Gray. “We just needed to stick to our game plan and get locked in.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 6-3 on the season heading into their next game on Saturday in Washington against the Mystics.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 45.7% from the field, while holding the Liberty to 40.7%.
Rebounding in the game was tied 38-38.
Guard Kelsey Plum returned from the U.S. Women’s 3×3 basketball team Olympic qualifiers and came off the bench to score four points.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 3 Riquna Williams
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Angel McCoughtry—Out, right ACL

Aces stumble late, lose to Sun, 74-67

Published on June 1, 2021 by psushawnLeave a comment

Photo credit: Shawn McCullough/Sports Radio Service

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces couldn’t hold on late as the Sun beat Las Vegas, 74-67, in Connecticut.

“We are not a halfcourt, slugfest team and that is the second game that we played their [Sun] game,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “The tempo was the biggest problem against Connecticut.”

Las Vegas led by two with 7:33 left, but was outscored 19-11 to finish the game.

“We walked the ball up the floor, we turned it over,” said Laimbeer on the final stretch of the game. “We could have won this game if we played our game.”

The Aces were led by a dominating performance inside by center Liz Cambage, who scored 28 points and pulled down seven rebounds.

“I’m getting more shots and it normally equals more points,” said Cambage. “Just bang inside and go right against them.”

A’ja Wilson scored 14 points, while Chelsea Gray added 10.

“We have to understand who we are and play that same way every single game,” said Wilson.

The Sun improved to 7-2 and sit in second place in the WNBA standings.

With the loss, the Aces fell to 5-3 on the season heading into their next game on Thursday in New York against the Liberty.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 43.8% from the field.
The loss snapped an Aces three game winning streak.
Guard Kelsey Plum will return from the U.S. Women’s 3×3 basketball team Olympic qualifiers on Thursday.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 3 Riquna Williams
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 12 Chelsea Gray

Aces Injury Report:

Angel McCoughtry—Out, right ACL
Kelsey Plum—Out, USA Basketball 3×3

Aces blow out Fever for second straight game, 101-78

Published on May 30, 2021 by psushawnLeave a comment

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces took care of business for a second straight game against the Indiana Fever with a 101-78 win at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay.

“We are making great progress offensively,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “We are going to score points, but the question is can we stop someone on defense consistently.”

Liz Cambage dropped a double-double, scoring 13 points and pulling down 13 rebounds, while also blocking five shots.

“All I am focused on is rebounding and blocking shots,” said Cambage.

Dearica Hamby led the Aces with 22 points, while A’ja Wilson added 15.

“I was able to run,” said Hamby. “That gets me going and I think that gets the whole team going.”

With the win, the Aces improved to 3-0 against teams below .500.

“Indiana is a young team and they are trying to find their way,” said Laimbeer. “You need to win your home games and we took care of business.”

The Aces improved to 5-2 on the season heading into their next game on Tuesday in Connecticut against the Sun.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

The Aces shot 56.7% from the field, while holding Indiana to 38.8%.
Las Vegas has now won three straight games.
Destiny Slocum returned to the lineup from concussion protocol.

Aces roll over Fever, 113-77

Published on May 28, 2021May 28, 2021 by psushawnLeave a comment

The Aces came out firing on all cylinders in a 113-77 blowout of the Indiana Fever at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay.

“I thought we were efficient across the board, offensively and defensively,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “When we shoot 55%, we will be hard to beat.”

When the Aces signed three-time WNBA All-Star Chelsea Gray back in February, they knew that they were getting a forward who could take over a game.

Gray had a double-double, scoring 19 points and dishing out 12 assists.

“I think Chelsea is showing why we got her and she is fun to watch,” said Laimbeer.

“It feels good when we are flowing,” said Gray. “Our execution was pretty good tonight.”

The 2020 WNBA MVP, A’ja Wilson, dropped 23 points, while Dearica Hamby came off the bench to lead the team with 25.

“We have a target on our back and at the end of the day we need to focus on us, but yea, it was a good win,” said Wilson.

The Aces have now won two straight games and improved to 4-2 on the season heading into their next game on Sunday at home in a re-match against the Fever.

“They [Indiana] will make some adjustments and it will be a dogfight in our next game,” said Laimbeer. “It’s going to be a completely different game come Sunday.”

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes: