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‘Fortunate’ Aces lifted by last-second score from Loyd
- Terrel Emerson
- May 23, 2025
- 3 min read
Guard Jewell Loyd only made two baskets in the latest comeback win for the Las Vegas Aces but the latter of the two was the biggest of the night.
Las Vegas got the win in its home opener, 75-72, over Washington Friday, May 23 from the Michelob Ultra Arena. The Aces played at home for the first time this season, six days after the team’s season opener.
“I don’t think we wanted a nail-biter [in] our home opener,” Loyd said. “It’s definitely a lot better being on this side of the pressure, our fans stayed with it all the way through.”
After splitting the first two games of the year, Las Vegas is now 2-1, preparing to head back to the road for its next one. Loyd’s return to Seattle is up next, scheduled for Sunday, May 25 from the Climate Pledge Arena.
Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.
“Definitely excited to go back,” Loyd said. “Hitting a game-winner and going back should give me some juice right? Just how we finished this game is how we want to start the game.”
Loyd hit the game-winner on a corner three, right in front of the home bench to cap her first home game as an Ace.
“Whole game everyone was telling me to keep shooting,” she said. “Right before we got out, [forward A’ja Wilson] was like, ‘Shoot the ball.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ She made a great pass and I didn’t fade.”
That game-winner was the second made field goal of the night for the two-time WNBA champion as part of her 2-for-9 night on her way to nine points. Both makes were from deep while the first came early in the second quarter facing a 10-point deficit with the shot clock expiring.
The win came in comeback fashion as Las Vegas won the fourth quarter, 25-13. This includes overcoming a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes and three seconds. At one point in the second half, the team faced a 12-point deficit, the largest for either side.
Just before the final basket, Wilson worked through the double team to find a cutting Jackie Young to tie the game at 72 apiece. Wilson also assisted on the game-winning field goal on her way to a team-high five assists.
“Everybody in the building knew that basketball was going to A’ja Wilson,” guard Chelsea Gray said. “A lot of our plays are designed to hit somebody but if that option isn’t open, you go to the next person. It’s designed to share the basketball.
“We pretty knew they were going to show a double-team, they had been doing it all night. We just needed to knock it down and she made two huge plays in traffic too especially the one to Jackie.”
Wilson was also at the heart of a defensive effort that forced a shot clock violation to set up the Young made layup. On the next Washington possession, Las Vegas forward Kiah Stokes was called for a foul before it was challenged by head coach Becky Hammon and eventually overturned by officials.
The play was ruled a block and eventually set up the game-winning shot by Loyd.
“We didn’t have iPads tonight,” Hammon said. “I don’t know what happened. Kiah told me she didn’t foul her and I believe Kiah. She has never lied to me.”
Despite the loss, the Mystics outshot the Aces, 40% to 35% and connected on 10 of their 20 three-point attempts while the home team was held to eight makes in 33 tries.
Young led all scorers with 25 points with nine makes at the free throw line in 10 attempts. Gray added 17 points and four assists.
Wilson stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks.
Rookie Kiki Iriafen shined in her first meeting against Wilson as she posted 17 points and 13 rebounds.
“It’s a team that plays super hard,” Hammon said. “They play together, they play their system. They’re a disciplined team. I think that team knows it needs each other and they need each other operating at a high rate.”
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