Tag: WNBA

Aces blow out Dream, 92-69

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Aces

Photo credit: Las Vegas Aces

By Shawn McCullough

In the Aces last loss to Connecticut, head coach Bill Laimbeer didn’t see effort from his starters. He got it tonight.

The Aces never trailed to the Dream in the game in a 92-69 win at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta.

Six Aces scored in double digits including Liz Cambage, who led the team with 15 points and added seven rebounds.  Cambage was still on a minute restriction, playing just over 19 minutes.

A’ja Wilson added 11 points, while Kayla McBride went 3 for 4 from the three-point line, scoring 13.

With the win, the Aces improved to 2-2 on the season heading into a game in New York against the Liberty on Sunday.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • The Aces shot 51.3% from the field, while Atlanta shot just 33.3%.
  • The Aces committed 21 turnovers now in back-to-back games.
  • Former Aces forward Nia Coffey scored 11 points for the Dream.
  • Only 2,630 fans were in attendance.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Liz Cambage
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Aces lose second straight game, 80-74

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20190602 - A'ja Wilson 02

Photo credit: Shawn McCullough (Sports Radio Service)

By Shawn McCullough

Head coach Bill Laimbeer wasn’t very happy with the effort from his starters.

The Aces committed 21 turnovers in an 80-74 loss to the Connecticut Sun at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

“We were lazy and we were not mentally strong at all,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer. “As a basketball team, you have to acquire it, you have to learn it, you have to earn it. We don’t have it right now. Which is not disturbing, it’s just fact. This is what it is right now.”

Laimbeer stressed that he was getting more energy from his unit off the bench over his starting unit.

“Our starters have no energy,” said Laimbeer. “They go out there and they just go through the motions.  I can’t find one person in the starting unit to go out and give me that energy, so I got to make a change somehow.”

“It’s very upsetting to see it and hear your coach say that,” said A’ja Wilson. “We just got to really back in as a team and get mentally tough, mentally together and just keep pushing through.”

Wilson led the team with 19 points and nine rebounds, while center Liz Cambage came off the bench and added 14.

“It comes from everyone, we all got to bring the energy to lift each other up,” said Cambage. “Even when you are tired, you need to just keep the energy going and that’s something that we need to work on.”

With the loss, Las Vegas fell to 1-2 on the season.

The Aces will next travel to Atlanta on Thursday to face the Dream before traveling to New York to face the Liberty.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • The Aces shot 43.8% from the field.
  • The 21 turnovers where the most since July 1, 2018 at Los Angeles.
  • Only 2,747 fans were in attendance, compared to 7,249 at the season opener.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

The Liz Cambage era in Las Vegas began in 86-84 loss

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IMG_0221

Photo credit: Las Vegas Aces

By Shawn McCullough

In a back and forth game, the Aces had their chance late in the game to force overtime.

A’ja Wilson missed two jump shots in the paint in the final seconds of the game as the Phoenix Mercury defeated the Las Vegas Aces 86-84 at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Wilson finished the game with 11 points, going just 4 for 19 from the field, while pulling down nine rebounds. Kayla McBride added 15.

Center Liz Cambage made her Aces debut, playing almost 14 minutes while scoring 13 points.

The Aces struggled from the field shooting just 39.5%, while the Mercury hit 50.8% of their shots.

With the loss, the Aces fell to 1-1 on the season heading into a home game on Sunday against the Connecticut Sun.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • A’ja Wilson has now scored 10 points or more in all 35 games in her WNBA career.
  • The Aces got 38 points off the bench, while Phoenix only scored two bench points.
  • The game saw eight lead changes with four ties.
  • 14,090 fans were in attendance.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Aces win season opener, 83-70, behind Wilson and McBride

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20190526 - A'ja Wilson 03

Photo credit: Shawn McCullough (Sports Radio Service)

By Shawn McCullough

LAS VEGAS — The Aces are now learning “how” to win.

Las Vegas won their season opener, 83-70, over the Los Angeles Sparks at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

“We’ve got to learn how to win and today’s a good start,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with a double-double, 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Kayla McBride scored 20, shooting 9 of 15 from the field.

Dearica Hamby also contributed a double-double, scoring 12 and pulling down 14 rebounds.

With this just being the team’s second season in Las Vegas, the young Aces are starting to feel a chemistry among teammates.

“We know each other, we get our vibes,” said Wilson. “We understand each other, we know exactly where to put each other in situations to get the best out of them when we need them. Last year was tough, because we didn’t know one another, but this year, the energy is there, we’re all vibing off each other, we’re all feeding off each other on and off the court. That is something special.”

Newly acquired center Liz Cambage sat out the game due to an Achilles injury, but liked what she saw.

“That had me so hype, watching these girls go out there and play hard, a real team game,” said Cambage. “Everyone getting their points, everyone hustling, that’s the team game that I like to play.”

With the win, the Aces started the season 1-0, after starting 0-4 last season.

The Aces will next travel to Phoenix on Friday to face the Mercury before returning home to the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Sunday to play the Connecticut Sun.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • Former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant was in attendance, along with Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis.
  • Sparks star Candace Parker sat out with a hamstring injury.
  • The Aces took their first lead with 2:44 left in the first quarter and never trailed after.
  • 7,249 fans were in attendance.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Aces introduce their new acquisition, center Liz Cambage

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20190520 - Liz Cambage

Photo credit: Shawn McCullough (Sports Radio Service)

By Shawn McCullough

The Las Vegas Aces pulled off one of the biggest trades in the WNBA’s 23 year existence.

Last Thursday, the Aces traded point guard Moriah Jefferson, forward Isabelle Harrison and their 2020 first round draft pick to the Dallas Wings for center Liz Cambage.

Cambage led the WNBA in scoring last season averaging 23 points per game and also averaged 9.7 rebounds per game.

Not only does the 6-8 Australian center fill a need for a dominant presence in the paint for the Aces, but she also brings much needed leadership to a young Las Vegas team.

“Liz is perfect for our town and our team,” said head coach Bill Laimbeer.  “We needed a big power player on the inside, but the most important thing about Liz is that she’s a smart basketball player. She knows the game, she knows how to involve her teammates and she brings an attitude that we don’t presently have, a toughness and an attitude of how you play basketball.”

“I am very excited to be here,” said Cambage. “Now teams can’t double-team me.   What, are you going to leave A’ja [Wilson] open? Are you going to leave the girls open on the 3-point line?  We have so many strengths in every area.  It is so exciting.”

But despite being very happy to be in Las Vegas now, Cambage struggled on her road to Sin City.

She was drafted in 2011 at the age of 20 by the Tulsa Shock, but was very unhappy with her first year in Tulsa and with the organization.

“I was drafted to a team that I was open to not wanting to be a part of.  When I came to the league, I was looking to be nurtured, I wanted to grow and I wanted to be looked after and cared for, but I was thrown in the deep end and I was just another object,” said Cambage in tears at her introductory press conference.  “My first year in Tulsa, I cried on the phone every night to my mum and my agent because I just wanted to be out of there.   The Tulsa Shock didn’t care and it ruined me to the point where I had to step away.”

From the day she was drafted in 2011, she only played three seasons in the WNBA (2011 and 2013 in Tulsa and 2018 in Dallas – formerly the Tulsa Shock).  Outside of the WNBA, Cambage played three years for three different teams in China, averaging 30.5 points per game.

After the acquisition of Cambage, the Aces are now considered the favorites to win the 2019 WNBA championship.

Aces assess talent in 79-75 preseason loss to Minnesota

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20190519 - A'ja Wilson 03

Photo credit: Shawn McCullough (Sports Radio Service)

By Shawn McCullough

The Las Vegas Aces have a list of number one draft picks and now have two time WNBA All-Star Center Liz Cambage, who they acquired in a trade with Dallas last week.

The first preseason game allowed Head Coach Bill Laimbeer to assess his team in a 79-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx at Cox Pavilion on the campus of UNLV.

“We only had one preseason game, that was this one, to see where we are at and what we need to work on,” said Laimbeer. ”We need to be able to score and make shots in big times. At the end of the day, we need to learn how to win, because this franchise up to this point, doesn’t know how to win.”

Cambage arrived in Las Vegas just prior to tipoff and didn’t play, but Kayla McBride led the Aces with 18 points, while A’ja Wilson added 16 points and six rebounds.

“We have a lot of talent, a lot of number one picks,” said McBride. “I am just really excited to see when it all comes together because it is going to be dangerous. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

2019 first overall draft pick Jackie Young made her Aces debut scoring 16 points while going 7-10 from the field.

“We know what she can do,” said Laimbeer of Jackie Young. “It’s a matter of can she do it on the big stage and I think today was a good learning experience for her and our team to understand her capabilities.”

The Aces will start the regular season this coming Sunday at 5:00 pm against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • Liz Cambage arrived in Las Vegas prior to tipoff and arrived courtside during pregame warmups and was greeted with hugs from both the Aces coaching staff and players.
  • The Aces led at halftime 40-32.
  • The Lynx made 10 three point shots to Vegas’ four.
  • The Aces turned the ball over 14 times.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 21 Kayla McBride
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 0 Jackie Young
G – 10 Kelsey Plum

Dream turns Aces’ finale into a nightmare 93-78 loss

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment
ACESDREAM 1q
Atlanta led 20-19 after the first quarter Photo: @LVAces

By Charlie O. Mallonee

The Las Vegas Aces (14-20) knew the game on Sunday was their last game of the 2018 season. The Aces had been eliminated from the playoffs on Friday night in Dallas. They hoped to put on a good show for the crowd in their finale and keep the Atlanta Dream from earning a double bye in the first round of the playoffs.

The Aces did put on a good show for the fans–at least for three quarters–but they came up short on their plan to beat the Dream. Atlanta (23-11) beat Las Vegas 93-78 handing the Aces their 20th loss of the season.

The Dream held just a 64-62 lead at the end of three quarters. It looked like the Aces were well positioned to make a run to win the game in the final quarter, but it was not meant to be. Atlanta outscored Las Vegas 29-16 in the final period and ran away with the game. When the final buzzer sounded, the Dream had won the game 93-78 and earned a double bye to escape the single elimination games in the playoffs.

ACESDREAM 3rd
The Aces trailed by just two points after three quarters Photo: @LVAces

“Games like this are always tough,” said Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer in his postgame comments. “You get eliminated from the playoffs and have to go out there and find the motivation to keep working. We are professional basketball players, so I told the team before that we are going to play a lot of people tonight.  I want to compete – to win the game – and for the most part, I think we did for a half. We came out in the 3rdquarter and you could see we just didn’t have it anymore, mentally, they didn’t put forth the effort to win the game. [Atlanta] needed it badly, they did the job, they got the win.  I told [the team] after the game – be proud of this year, it was a great year for the Las Vegas Aces. We launched a franchise.  We competed and showed who we were – individually and collectively – and our franchise and our fans got to come out and enjoy a great product and a great sport, and MGM did a wonderful job launching this franchise. So, I told them to be proud of themselves.  Yeah, we didn’t make the playoffs, but we are really looking forward to next year.”

Aces Postgame Notes

  • A’ja Wilson put up 21 points to score in double figures for the 33rd time to start her career. She also scored 20-plus points for the 18th time in 2018.
  • Dearica Hamby–14 points–posted double figures for the 12th time this season.
  • Kelsey Bone scored nine points, which was one off of her season-highs.
  • The Las Vegas Aces won six more games (14 to 8) this season than they did as the San Antonio Stars in 2017.

Atlanta Postgame Notes

  • The Dream finished the season with a franchise record 23 regular season wins.
  • Elizabeth Williams led the Dream in scoring with 20 points–her 14th double-digit scoring game of the season.
  • Renee Montgomery posted 16 points and dished out a season-high nine assists on Sunday.
  • Atlanta’s record is now 16-3 when they score 80-plus points in a game.
  • The Dream swept the season series with the Aces.

Aces eliminated from playoff contention with 107-102 loss to Dallas

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Aja

Photo credit: Las Vegas Aces

By Shawn McCullough

The Aces fought through the second to the last game of the regular season, but fell short of the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

The Wings got 43 points from center Liz Cambage to beat the Aces 107-102 at the College Park Center in Dallas on Friday.

Forward A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 34 points and seven rebounds, while guard Kayla McBride added a double-double, 16 points and 12 assists.

The Aces led by six points at halftime, but Dallas battled back and later held off Las Vegas down the stretch of the game.

The Aces trail the Wings by one game for the final playoff spot with one game remaining for each team, but since Dallas beat Las Vegas all three times this season, the Wings win the tie breaker in the event the two teams end the season tied.

With the loss, the Aces fell to 14-19 on the season, still improving on an 8-26 record last season.

The Aces will finish the season on Sunday against the Atlanta Dream at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 pm PDT.

Las Vegas Aces – http://aces.wnba.com

Game Notes:

  • A’ja Wilson scored in double figures (34) for the 31st straight game.
  • The Aces shot 57.7% from the field.
  • The Aces were out-rebounded 42-25.

Game Starters:

F – 22 A’ja Wilson
F – 1 Tamera Young
C – 8 Carolyn Swords
G – 21 Kayla McBride
G – 10 Kelsey Plum