It was a tough night for the Las Vegas Aces, who lost 78-65 to the Seattle Storm. A’ja Wilson once again had a 20-plus point game, which kept up her streak this season.
Still, it felt like something was off while watching the Aces play at home in a packed stadium at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
“I can’t articulate enough how badly teams want to beat us,” said Aces coach Becky Hammon at a post-game press conference. “We just had a very satisfactory ‘show up to win the game’ approach.”
The game started slow for the back-to-back champions.
Storm coach Noelle Quinn came into the game prepared to take on the Aces, particularly star player A’ja Wilson.
Since sweeping Las Vegas in the 2020 WNBA Finals, Seattle is 4-12 against Las Vegas and came to Sin City with that go-big or go-home energy. Energy, unfortunately, was what the Aces lacked from tip-off. The Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike came in hot in the first quarter to help Seattle take control of the game with an open three-pointer to keep a 9-0 run that put them ahead 15-7 to Vegas.
Kelsey Plum emerged from the jump, leading the team in points in both halves. She dropped a nice three-pointer in the second quarter to give Vegas a 22-19 lead. However, Seattle regained control of the game shortly after, with a 36-28 halftime lead.
Whether it was the impressive defense from the Storm or the lack of energy from the Aces, Las Vegas just couldn’t keep up the points in the first half, surprisingly, that included Wilson.
But the WNBA MVP is going to do what an MVP does. She came alive in the third quarter, pushing to shrink the Storm’s lead by the end of the third quarter to 54-51.
However, the Storm closed the game with a last-minute burst from Skylar Diggins-Smith. The team was able to force a 24-12 run in the fourth quarter, during which Diggins-Smith scored 11 points, two of which were monster three-pointers.
The win keeps Seattle on a six-game winning streak.
“They came out and really punched us in the face. I think that to be honest, a lot of the wounds were self-inflicted,” said Plum post-game.
The Aces suffer
Las Vegas is coming off the road. People have been sick, and injuries have been sustained. But hey, that is the game.
“It’s a funky stretch, and I think later on down the road, we’ll start stringing things together,” A'ja Wilson said. “But, it is a tough situation to be in. But, at the same time, I feel like we have enough in the locker room to ensure we execute where we are.”
Though defense has been the focus in the last few games, the offense was the challenge this time.
“Every team has to push through this. This is way more mental than anything,” Coach Hammon said. “Bottom line is, we’re not a very good team right now.”
A third of the star trio that the Aces' fan base is used to was on a downturn. Jackie Young was reportedly sick at the beginning of the week. Young, The Silent Assassin”, was mute tonight, putting up a mere three points.
Plum led the team in the first and second half and scored 18 points, two assists, and three of her eight three-point attempts.
It was a nice showing by Kate Martin, who secured a quick two points. The fan fave threw the crowd into a frenzy with her defensive and offensive skills.
Megan Gustafson took a piece of the action in the half, landing a three. Recently signed and formerly retired, Tiffany Hayes came through with grit and landed five points.
But none was enough for Las Vegas to advance of the Storm. Both teams are now tied with the Minnesota Lynx for the fewest losses in the conference. The Seattle Storm is now the only undefeated team in the Western Conference in the Commissioner’s Cup.
Another historic night for A’ja Wilson
A'ja Wilson is now tied with WNBA legend Diana Taurasi for the longest streak of 20+ PT games in WNBA history.
It was a tough night for the team, the Aces WNBA MVP and two-time Defensive Player of the Year brought her A game to Michelob ULTRA on Friday, as usual. Though she’s been hit in the face in previous games and dealt with a few ridiculous fouls from the Storm on Friday, Wilson continued to be the leader she is.
“It’s a part of the game. You get your highs and lows, and we’re just funky in the middle,” she said. “But, the high’s coming. The high’s coming, and we’re going to just continue to stay on this path.”
The Las Vegas Aces return to the road to play the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday at 6 PM PST.
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