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Aces lose by 53 to Minnesota eight days after losing by 31
- Terrel Emerson
- Aug 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 2
Three losses in three tries against the Minnesota Lynx for the Las Vegas Aces but each time the margin of defeat has gotten larger and larger.
Most recently, Las Vegas was stunned by 53 points at home as part of a, 111-58, losing effort to Minnesota Saturday, Aug. 2 from the Michelob Ultra Arena. Prior to the loss, the Aces had won back-to-back games and were looking for a third straight win for the third time this season.
“I think it’s just part of the season that we’re in,” guard Jewell Loyd said. “I don’t know if its because our CBA is coming up and the shift in women’s sports in general but I think it’s just the totality of who we are.
“The thing I always keep saying is this locker room is so close. The confidence level for each player, day-in and day-out, it’s there. And that’s the beautiful part of it, there’s no drama. You could have a season like this and it could be terrible, you could be terrible teammates.”
The loss knocks the Aces back to .500 on the year with an overall record of 14-14 as it continues to sit near the bottom half of playoff-eligible teams in the league’s standings.
Saturday’s game was the first of a back-to-back which will conclude Sunday, Aug. 3 from The House. It will finish with a 3 p.m. date with the Golden State Valkyries as part of the Aces’ third back-to-back of the season.
Five of the next six outings for Las Vegas will take place inside the Michelob Ultra Arena including Saturday’s loss.
“You have to move on,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “We have another game tomorrow. We have to get that win tomorrow. At halftime, I kind of [knew] we’re not going to come back.”
From tip in the latest loss to the Lynx, the Aces keyed in on MVP candidate Napheesa Collier with double teams on paint touches. Those decisions left several shooters open and the rest of the Minnesota lineup lit up the Las Vegas defense early and often.
The visitors would score eight straight points after falling behind 2-0 to start the game. From there, the Aces would never regain the lead again. In fact, the Lynx eventually went up by 18 points in an opening quarter where they shot 74% from the field.
“That’s what happened,” Hammon said. “But that was not the gameplan.”
Las Vegas has scored less than 20 points in each of the three first quarters played against Minnesota this season including Saturday’s 35-17 start. Things would only get worse as the league’s top team went up by 37 points in a first half where it shot 77% from the floor including 13-of-14 from three-point range.
By the final buzzer, the Lynx racked up 32 assists on 42 made field goals.
“Today, we ran into a buzzsaw,” Hammon said. “They made 13 out of 14 [three-pointers]. You’re not doing that as a group very often even if you’re just warming up. However, we started the oven for them.”
Hammon made a five-person platoon swap about midway through the third quarter with starters A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and NaLyssa Smith not returning to the game.
Loyd scored seven points in the first quarter in her newfound reserve role. She’d end the night with a team-high 12 points on 50% shooting.
“I just want to help my team do what I can,” she said. “Starting, coming off the bench, playing two minutes, playing 30 minutes, whatever that looks like. It’s never about me, it’s about the team. So when I get in there, I’m just trying to do what’s right.”
Wilson didn’t score her first points of the game until the second quarter but would ultimately reach double-figures for the sixth straight game. She closed the night with 10 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes of action.
As a team, Las Vegas shot 34% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc.
“I think it would’ve been a different story if we were dictating on defense,” forward Megan Gustfason said. “Basically what they did to us, we needed to do to them.”
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