Defensive stance on final possession pushes Las Vegas to 8th straight win

Las Vegas forward A'ja Wilson attempts a hook shot in the paint while guarded by Atlanta players Rhyne Howard (#10) and Brittney Griner (#42). Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

It wasn’t decided until the final possession but the Las Vegas Aces’ defense stood strong when it needed to keep the season-long win streak alive.

Las Vegas earned its second win in as many meetings against Atlanta, this time by a final score of 74-72 from the Michelob Ultra Arena Tuesday, Aug. 19. Coming into Tuesday’s contest, the Aces were tied for fourth in the WNBA standings while sitting a game and a half back of second place which is currently occupied by the Dream.

“When you go down the stretch of a season, you want to be playing your best basketball in August [and] September,” guard Chelsea Gray said. “That’s a great squad that we played against. That could very well be a playoff matchup. Both teams know how important that game was for the standings so there’s a little bit of pride there.”

The win brought Las Vegas’ current win streak to a season-high eight games while moving the team’s overall record to 22-14 on the year. Thursday night the team will attempt to go for nine straight wins with Phoenix in town for a 7 p.m. start.

Neither Las Vegas or Atlanta built a lead larger than five points through the first three quarters of Tuesday’s contest. But early in the fourth quarter, the visitors completed an 11-0 run dating back to the third to put the Aces in a 10-point hole.

Aces forward A'ja Wilson takes a midrange jumper during the team's two-point win over the Dream Tuesday night. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

On the heels of that stretch, the home team would respond with a 13-0 run to regain the lead and regain it for good. During the run, Las Vegas held Atlanta scoreless for more than six minutes.

“I just thought we went soft there for a moment,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “And you can’t go soft defensively with that team. So I just challenged them and we ended up getting nine stops in a row. I think from that point on, they scored five points for the rest of the game.”

On the final defensive possession of the game, the Aces made two key stops on former all-stars Rhyne Howard and Brittney Griner in the final 4.2 seconds of the game. Las Vegas won the fourth quarter, 17-11, on the way to the win.

“I think we got nine stops in a row,” Gray said. “And that’s really, really hard to do with an offensive team like that – that can score outside, midrange and have two big post players inside.”

Wilson set two new accomplishments along the way with the first coming in the game’s opening quarter. She became the youngest and fastest to ever reach 2,000 career field goals made. In the third quarter, she’d become the youngest and fastest to 5,500 career points.

Both of which were completed on her mother, Eva’s, birthday as she sat in her regular front row seat.

“I don’t let the milestones go by because I don’t take this game for granted at all,” forward A'ja Wilson said. “I’m actually very grateful to show up for work every single day, get the job done so I do take a lot of pride in that.”

With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Wilson put the finishing touches on another 30-point double-double as she finished with 32 points and 12 rebounds. The 32 points and 12 rebounds both accounted for game-highs in the win.

In addition, Wilson broke the, 72-72, tie with a 12-foot midrange jumper to 

“Honestly, Chelsea was yelling at me the entire game to shoot the ball,” she said. “So I knew once the ball got to me, I had to shoot it.”

Las Vegas guard Jackie Young makes a move going baseline while looking for a teammate. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

Getting Wilson the ball in space was a direct intention coming out of halftime for Hammon and company. After not having much success in the paint to start the game, that play-initiating change made the difference down-the-stretch.

“Anytime we can create a mismatch or a closeout, we want to do that,” Hammon said. “Against those bigs, A’ja in space and movement is better than her trying to pound against them close to the basket [...] When she gets spaced, everybody gets spaced so it works out for everybody.”

It was a complete team effort with guard Jackie Young being the only other player in double-figures with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Reserve guard Jewell Loyd cashed in on a three-pointer to give her Aces the lead with just over four minutes left in regulation. It was a lead that would not be given up for the remainder of the game.

All of this was pulled together on the string of Gray who ended the night with a game-high 11 assists with eight points and seven rebounds to go along with it.

“I think she looks like herself,” Hammon said. “She looked different at the beginning of the season because she wasn’t being Chelsea Gray. She looks like Chelsea Gray now.”