Aces outlast Lynx to stay perfect in Commissioner’s Cup games

A meeting of the two teams at the top of the WNBA’s standings lived up to the hype which featured a fourth quarter for the ages.

Entering play as the second-best team in the league based on record, Las Vegas got the better of Minnesota, 100-97, Saturday, June 13 from Michelob Ultra Arena. The outcome keeps the Aces perfect in Commissioner’s Cup games at 5-0 while the Lynx suffered their first cup loss to fall to 4-1.

“These are two really good teams,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “We knew they were going to make a run of course, they’re not going anywhere. They’ve got a lot of experience – they’re a well-oiled machine too.”

Las Vegas’ overall record now sits at 10-3 on the year as the team’s season-long win streak is up to six straight games. Additionally, the team is now a game over .500 at home in five tries after playing its third home game in its last four outings.

It's back to the road for the Aces now as they gear up for a second meeting of the season against the Dallas Wings. That contest is set for Monday, June 15 with tip-off set for 5 p.m.

That will also be a Commissioner’s Cup game.

“I’ve said it before, I want to win every game,” Hammon said. “Commissioner’s Cup, not Commissioner’s Cup. I just want for us to continue to get better. But it is exciting if we can keep our foot on the gas.”

Minnesota had a +13 second half that resulted in a close finish that saw Las Vegas have to fend off a push led by No. 2 overall pick Olivia Miles. The first-year player out of TCU scored 29 points including 12 in the final 5:43 of the fourth quarter.

After having its lead cut to two, forward A’ja Wilson fouled Miles on a made layup to tie the game at 93. The made free throw gave the visitors the lead.

“Olivia is just different,” Hammon said. “She’s different. Tough team, very good defensively. I’m sure both me and [Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeves] are going to be looking at the defensive end of the ball. She’s not happy giving up 100 and I’m not happy giving up 97.”

Four Lynx starters scored in double-figures while none scored less than 17 points on the night. As a team, it shot 49% from the field including 43% from three-point territory.

“In the first quarter [our switching] was good,” Hammon said. “It was active, we executed it well. Second quarter, we stood behind the post and [forward Natasha Howard] just punished us [...] At the end of the day, you have to take something away.”

Guard Jackie Young had a strong second half to help fight off that comeback attempt. She scored or assisted on the first eight Aces points of the second half.

As a team, Las Vegas recorded 24 assists on the way to 36 made field goals. Young led all players with 10 assists followed by seven from guard Chelsea Gray. No other Ace had more than three assists.

“We were playing out of our defense,” Gray said. “We were sharing the ball very well, inside and out. It wasn’t just shooting threes.”

Young added 11 points in the third quarter en route to a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists in the win.

Wilson led the team with 24 points on the way to a double-double of her own. She also hauled in 10 rebounds while blocking two shots and collecting two steals.

At one point of the game, Wilson went to the bench a little wobbly during a timeout after appearing to take a shot to the head.

“I don’t know that there’s a better trio [than Young, Wilson and Gray],” Hammon said. “They’ve got a lot of experience with each other, they know each other’s games inside and out. They know our system inside and out so they’re a handful.”

Gray kept her hot shooting alive best evident by opening the game 3-for-3 from deep followed by an assist. In total, she knocked down four threes in the first quarter.

On the way to the victory, she tallied 23 points including six made threes. Over the last two games she is shooting 15-for-23 from beyond the arc. Those 15 made threes ties a league-record for the most made threes by a single player in a two-game stretch.

“Chelsea’s obviously shooting it well,” Hammon said. “Jackie will have her nights too. It’s just numbers, those worms will turn.”

Forward NaLyssa Smith was the final player in double-figures with 15 points on 7-of-9 from the field. She has now scored double-digits in three straight games.

This season, she is averaging nearly 11 and a half points per game while shooting a career-best 69% from the field.