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After losing the season-opener, the Las Vegas Aces (1-1) held off the Seattle Storm (1-1) 96-80 to split their two-game series in a dominant performance by the road team on Tuesday, May 18.
“This is a good win but any win in this league is very important,” forward A'ja Wilson said. “When you play your hardest, our talent speaks for itself, and we have the same heart for our home opener.”
The Aces were led by reigning MVP Wilson and guard Jackie Young, who recorded her first double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Wilson filled the stat sheet recording 18 points 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocks, also notching her first double-double of the season.
Las Vegas led by as many as 21 points dominating the first half before Seattle would stage a comeback performance with a 13-6 run coming out of the second half.
The Storm cut into the Aces lead 51-44 as they were starting to heat up from the three point line.
The championship DNA still resonates in Seattle as it cut the lead to just four points, 66-62, with a buzzer beating near mid-court shot by forward Katie Lou Samuelson to end the third quarter.
Despite the Aces not being able to guard the three against the Storm they were able to hold them from a comeback in the fourth quarter.
Center Liz Cambage began heating up in the fourth quarter giving the team an 8-0 run to extend their lead, 74-62.
Adding in Young and Wilson, the Aces finished with six players in double figures.
Cambage recorded 18 points and eight rebounds while guard Chelsea Gray recorded 11 points and seven assists.
Guard Kelsey Plum scored 10 points off-the-bench.
“Communicating was the biggest thing we needed to do,” Wilson said. “Everyone was hitting shots and we did not do our best the first game and this game we were shooting shots and that is what you have to do against a good team like Seattle.”
Defensively, the Aces have trouble with defending the three-point shot but that still has hardly any affect on them.
The Storm’s Breanna Stewart was difficult to defend for the Aces as she recorded a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
“[Assistant coach] Tanisha [Wright] was furious at us, and the film was so depressing when we were watching defense,” Wilson said. “We had to fix that, so we came out with that mentality and got the job done.”
The Aces forced Seattle to shoot 28% from three-point line and 42% from the field.
When healthy the Las Vegas Aces will be able to use their size advantages against teams and show their pure dominance in an attempt to a road to glory.
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