Aces Grind Out 79-69 Win in Los Angeles to Open Commissioner’s Cup Play
Las Vegas didn't need pretty. They needed a win, and they got one.
The Aces held on for a 79-69 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night, moving to 6-3 on the season and 1-0 in Commissioner's Cup play. The win also marks the 200th victory since the franchise relocated to Las Vegas a number worth acknowledging.
It wasn't clean. Vegas shot poorly, turned the ball over, and let LA hang around longer than they should have. But the defense showed up when it mattered, and the two best players on the floor made sure the Aces left with the W.
A'ja Wilson Was A'ja Wilson
25 points. 15 rebounds. 5 blocks. Season-high in blocks. That's your box score now here's everything else.
Wilson's 20 point performance extended her league leading streak of consecutive 20 point games to seven. It was the 25th time in her career she's gone for at least 20 and 15 in the same game the most in WNBA history. She also hit 900 career "stocks" (steals + blocks), becoming the second-youngest player ever to reach that milestone, and tied DeLisha Milton-Jones for 15th on the all-time rebounding list.
On the other end, Wilson completely erased Dearica Hamby. Hamby came in averaging 17.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. She finished with 2 points on 0 of 4 shooting. That's not a bad game that's a shutdown.
Chelsea Gray Made History Tonight
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Chelsea Gray dropped 12 points and a season high 11 assists, and somewhere in the middle of that fourth quarter, she quietly became one of the most complete players in the history of this league.
At the 6:58 mark of the fourth, Gray scored her 4,500th career point making her just the fourth player in 30 years of WNBA basketball to reach 4,500 points, 1,000 rebounds, 1,500 assists, and 100 blocks. The other three? Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, and Alyssa Thomas. Gray is the youngest player to ever join that club at 33 years old.
How the Game Went
This one was a grind from the jump. Las Vegas started ice cold 1 of 7 from the floor out of the gate but the defense bailed them out early, holding LA scoreless from the 6:04 mark of the first quarter until nearly six minutes into the second. The Aces bench took advantage, sparked an 11-0 run, and pushed the lead to 13.
LA punched back with a 10-0 run of their own, but Jackie Young (16 points, 9 assists) kept Vegas steady heading into halftime up 37-30.
The third quarter got wild runs back and forth, the Aces stretched it to 15, then the Sparks started chipping. Rae Burrell went for a season high 22, Nneka Ogwumike put up 12 and 12, and LA cut it to seven with under three minutes left.
Then A'ja Wilson hit an and-1 and that was that.
Worth Noting
The Aces did all of this without Chennedy Carter, Dana Evans, and Jewell Loyd all sitting with leg injuries. Kierstan Bell stepped into the rotation and scored her first 6 points of the season. Vegas held the Sparks to 30.8% shooting from the field. You can cover a lot of offensive sloppiness when you're defending like that.
Up Next
The Aces are back home at Michelob ULTRA Arena:
Saturday, June 6 vs. Golden State Valkyries (5-3) — 12 p.m. PT (ABC)
Monday, June 8 vs. Seattle Storm (3-7) — 7 p.m. PT (USA Network / The Spot-Vegas 34)