The Las Vegas Aces had a chance to close out their series against the Seattle Storm, but a late collapse doomed their chances, and they lost 86-83. The Aces had a four-point lead with about a minute left, but that didn't bother the Storm, as they hit some key shots down the stretch and were led by Skylar Diggins.
After the game, head coach Becky Hammon was honest about the Aces' performance in the crunch, and she was not pleased.
“We missed nine free throws,” Hammon said via ESPN's Kevin Pelton. “[Committed] 15 turnovers. Don't execute. Have a turnover off the board [out of a timeout]. It's a shame. I feel like we let that one go. And our poor, soft defense down the stretch. Soft.”
A'ja Wilson didn't score over the final seven minutes of the game, and that may have been because of rookie Dominique Malonga giving her fits. Wilson shot 1-of-3 on 29 half-court matchups when defended by Malonga, according to GeniusIQ tracking.
“I just think we've got to do a better job of getting [Malonga] in movement instead of just those post isos,” Hammon said. “She's long, she's athletic. We've got to move her a little bit more. I just thought [A'ja] missed some shots and also she got to the free throw line 11 times. We could have been more efficient with her for sure.”
Coming into the game, the Aces were on a 17-game win streak and one of the hottest teams in the league. They'll be heading back to Las Vegas for Game 3, where it'll be a win-or-go-home situation. It should be another tight game with both teams trying to advance, and if the Aces take what Hammon said to heart, they should come out with better energy.
At the same time, the Storm may feel like they have the momentum now and will come out to try and start fast.
