The champions are back and A’ja Wilson leads the way.
Wilson had 24 points, 20 rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists on Wednesday to lead the Las Vegas Aces to an 84-79 win over the Seattle Storm. Wilson’s effort marks The first 20/20 game In a career that includes five All-Star honors, two MVPs and two Defensive Player of the Year awards, her rebound total is the best of her career.
The win was the eighth in nine games for the once-slumping Aces, who started 6-6 in defending their second straight WNBA title. With Wednesday’s win, the Aces improved to 14-7 and moved a half-game ahead of the Storm for second place in the Western Conference.
The Aces are now 1.5 games behind the first-place Minnesota Lynx and are very close to being favorites to win the WNBA championship. The Aces are one of five teams (Lynx, Storm, New York Liberty, Connecticut Sun) with a winning percentage of .636 or better that are projected to contend for the title.
Aces bounce back after big third quarter
Seattle took control of Wednesday’s game with a 17-13 first quarter that extended to 36-30 at halftime. But the third quarter was all for the Aces. Behind a 9-0 run by Jackie Young, they turned a 41-34 deficit into a 54-45 lead at the end of the third quarter. Las Vegas outscored Seattle 30-19 in the fourth and never trailed again.
The Storm cut the deficit to 80-76 in the final minute. Wilson responded with a jumper from the free throw line off the wing of six-time All-Defensive Team selection Nneka Ogwumike.
Jewell Lloyd made three free throws at the other end of the court after being fouled on a three-point shot to cut the Aces’ lead to 82-79 with 45.1 seconds left. But Seattle didn’t score again and Las Vegas earned the road win.
The Aces’ effort Wednesday wasn’t all Wilson’s. Four starters scored in double figures, led by Young, who had 27 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal. All-Star guard Chelsea Gray had 11 points and six assists in her ninth game back from the foot injury that had sidelined her since the start of the season. Gray’s return has coincided with the Aces’ 8-1 run in their last nine games.
