Las Vegas endures another lopsided loss in first clash with New York

A loss is a loss whether it comes by a single point or 10 points. However, three of the Las Vegas Aces’ five losses have come by double-digits.

For just the second time in the last 10 games, Las Vegas came up short this time in a 87-76 final against New York Tuesday, June 23 from Michelob Ultra Arena. The matchup served as a precursor to next week’s Commissioner’s Cup final from Barclays Center.

Two of the last three postseasons have seen these two teams battle with a chance to send the other one home for the winter.

“I think offensively, we didn’t shoot well tonight,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “Defensively, obviously in the second and third quarters, we don’t want to give up that many. They’re a difficult team to guard so for us, it’s a good learning game.”

The Aces have lost those five games by a combined total of 88 points or a 17.6 points per game average. In total, the club is 12-5 this season as it had its four-game home win streak snapped with the loss.

Coming into Tuesday, Las Vegas sat a half game behind Minnesota for the best record in the league.

This three-game homestand for the Aces comes to an end Thursday, June 25 from The House when they square off against the Dallas Wings. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

This year’s Las Vegas team is 0-2 against Dallas.

“We got them in another week,” Hammon said. “So we’ve kind of got to turn the page quickly. At the end of the day, it’s a game in June.”

A 17-7 close to the third quarter by the visitors all but spelled the end for the Aces in a quarter where they trailed by as many as 19 points. It was also a frame that saw head coach Becky Hammon incensed after what she deemed to be a no-call in front of her team’s bench.

A lot of that frustration could’ve come from being in the midst of that quarter-closing run. Although, the first half wasn’t much better for her team.

Las Vegas fell behind by as many as 13 points in the first half despite holding its opponent to just about 43% shooting from the floor.

“I thought we had good looks,” Hammon said. “We missed them.”

That included holding three-time MVP Breanna Stewart to 4 points in the first half on 1-for-4 shooting. That would change in the second half as she finished with 20 points on 7-of-20 from the field.

The league’s first-ever four-time MVP A’ja Wilson didn’t have as much luck. She was limited to 16 points on 7-of-18 shooting. That stat line was highlighted by a six-point first half with a 3-for-11 shooting mark including no makes on her three three-point attempts.

“It was just one of those nights,” Wilson said. “Getting up 18 clips – the ratchet works, I was just shooting some blanks. It’s just one of those nights and it sucks. It stinks but at the same time, I think everybody in this room knows it ain’t gone be too many of these.”

Reserve center Cheyenne Parker-Tyus came in and made quick decisions on her way to 14 points in 17 minutes in the loss.

“Her ability to shoot the three stretches them out a little bit,” Hammon said. “It gives them a little bit of a different look and it still gives us decent size on the boards.”

Guard Jackie Young raced out to nine of her team’s first 15 points of the night. She’d lead her team with 19 points to go along with seven assists. Her seven helpers sat one behind teammate Chelsea Gray for the game-high.

Gray hit double-figures late in the fourth quarter as part of back-to-back made threes with the aforementioned Parker-Tyus. That brought the team within eight points however, it would never get closer than that.

“I thought our sense of urgency got a little bit greater when we realized we were going to lose the game,” Hammon said. “We need that from the jump. But again, I go back to, ‘Sometimes the offense needs to help the defense.’”