The Las Vegas Aces returned home to the Michelob Ultra Arena on Saturday after a successful Olympic run by A'ja Wilson and others but the New York Liberty reigned supreme in the House. In the Aces’ first post-break game of the season, they fell short 79-67 to Liberty.
“Our ‘want to factor’ wasn’t there for 40 minutes, and that doesn’t matter if we had a break or we didn’t. I feel like we played the same way in Chicago,” said Aces forward A'ja Wilson after the game.
Wilson was among the four Aces players who helped Team USA win the gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics. But between the two teams, ten Paris Olympians were on the court with a massive amount of energy and a bit of exhaustion.
“A lot of pressure, stress, a lot of pounding,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said of the Olympics during the post-game presser.
“So, it was just really about giving them the rest that they needed. But we looked a little rusty.”
The problem was that the Aces had a hard time controlling the Liberty's offense, and it wasn’t because of their lack of defense, a problem that’s persisted for the Las Vegas WNBA players throughout the season. Instead, New York was just taking advantage of space, leading to a tough first quarter and a solid win against the galaxy of star athletes that make up the Aces.
The Aces back-to-back MVP put up 24 points, her 38th consecutive game where she secured double-digit points. Wilson’s feat is the longest active streak in the league. Wilson wasn’t the only Aces with doubles. Kelsey Plum, who also just returned from the Paris Olympic win, shot 13 points, five in the paint and two beyond the arc.
However, Chelsea Gray continues to be the glue the Aces need, and it’s not only for her impeccable passes. The Paris Olympian reminded us that she doesn’t only make sick passes, she also makes stellar shots. She shot 13, with five of her 13 shots from the f/g. She also made three of her seven 3-point attempts. This is a reminder of why she’s dubbed the Point Gawd, and the Point Gawd was not playing about her buckets Saturday.
But to the shock of Aces fans and players alike, it was not enough to secure the W against the New York Liberty on Saturday.
Post-Olympic Aces on fire before smoldering
From the jump, you could tell that the chemistry – or mudita as the Aces call it– was there. The players that make up the Las Vegas Aces complement one another, and that’s what makes them so special. The awareness on the floor between Plum and Young is uncanny. Plum emerged back to her home court with impeccable reads, knowing when and where to set up and make or help make the shot happen. Jackie Young was present and on the waiting, as always, ready to land the shot.
Early in the game, effective plays were landed with the increased defense strategy, including a nice run Wilson made down the court in the second quarter to secure a quick layup. The team leaned on transition defense and was highly efficient until they weren’t.
“For us, it's a mindset, and it’s on me as well,” Wilson said in the post-game conference. “I’m going to come in with a more focused mindset to hold my teammates accountable and to want it…our team and our locker room is way too good for us to not want to be the best.”
Las Vegas led the first quarter by four. It was clear they were remembering the basics: stick with your man, be where you need to be, and bring that fight to the game from the very jump. But by the second quarter, they’d only put up eight to the Liberty’s 18 shots.
Plum, Gray and Wilson led in points by the half, with Wilson taking the top Aces spot with 12 points. She also led in rebounds and blocks with six and one, respectively. Still, Vegas kept trailing behind. New York would knock it down, then Wilson would follow it with a callback. Another standoff between the two, and here comes a quick pass from Gray to Clark for some sweet buckets.
Gray and her amazing behind-the-back passes always electrify the arena and often end in buckets. She also has a fantastic handle on the ball. She danced in front of her man down the court throughout the game. Light on her feet, she can make those effective passes and even juke past her man. It was a dance that kept on steppin’ until the very end.
New York’s 12-point lead in the fourth quarter was the game’s largest lead. With little time left in the game, it was an uphill hustle for the string of Las Vegas stars. The Liberty was able to take the second game against Vegas this season. There may be something about playing at home that catches the Aces and leads to an off night. Whether it’s excitement, distractions, nerves, or the calmness of home turf advantage, the Aces have lost six home games.
Las Vegas' offense problem vs. New York
“I can sit there and try to put bandaids over these little cuts and bruises, but when you’re bleeding internally, it doesn't do much,” Hammon said in the post-game conference.
While the Aces appeared to have more grit on the defensive end, they lacked confidence in themselves and each other to get the ball in the basket, which shook the team’s synchronicity out of whack.
“The ball was late. We had multiple people that were just in rouge, just rouge and it looks incredibly selfish because it is,” Hammon said.
“They didn’t exactly shoot the ball well tonight either. We just shot a little worse…New York’s very unselfish, and I think that’s probably their best attribute.”
Yes, the Aces were better defensively, even though coach Hammon noted that she was not happy about the 13 offensive rebounds. However, you need both a strong offense and defense to beat out some of the best teams in the league and that’s what Las Vegas is trying to do.
“We can’t test our luck in these games against this league,” Wilson said after the New York upset at home on Saturday.
As of game time, Las Vegas was five in the league, while New York was number one. The Liberty played with energy, and so did the Aces, at least in the first quarter. With only 15 games left, the back-to-back champions will need to bring their A-game every minute they’re on the court.
“It’s just one game at a time. When you look at the whole season, it’s a little overwhelming. We have to take it day game at a time, one game at a time, one court at a time, and focus on the little things to get the big picture to happen,” Chelsea Gray said during the post-game presser.
That snapshot would be the Las Vegas Aces reigning supreme with a third consecutive championship, a three-peat solidifying their place in WNBA history. The Aces have the time. The question is: do they have the “want” to?
“Everybody gotta be doing their job at the same time, at a high rate of want to factor, of edge, of execution,” Hammon said on Saturday after the Liberty loss.
“You can get outplayed, heart-wise. That sucks, that’s disappointing.”
The Las Vegas Aces return to Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday to play the Los Angeles Sparks. The tip-off is at 3 pm PST.
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