Las Vegas loses luster in second half, beaten by Dallas on road

Number one overall pick in this past WNBA Draft Azzi Fudd drives past Las Vegas forward Stephanie Talbot. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

The Las Vegas Aces finally have their first road loss of the season after a perfect start away from home. However, the defeat came in a relatively unconventional way.

After winning four of its last five games, Las Vegas has now dropped back-to-back games following a 95-87 loss to Dallas Thursday, May 28. It will go down as the first road loss for the defending champions after starting the campaign 4-0 away from their homecourt.

“I think it’s always us,” forward A’ja Wilson said. “We have to set the tone, always. I think we set the tone in the first half and then came out and didn’t do the same [in the second half].”

Head coach Becky Hammon took it a step further.

“Our defense sucked,” she said. “We gave up 50 points in the second half? Did a good job in the first quarter and then you just have slippage and the slippage compounds and you don’t even have enough timeouts to stop the bleeding.”

Seven games into the new season, the Aces sport a 4-3 overall record. Regrouping will have to be done on the road as the team continues its three-game road trip.

Up next, Las Vegas will head to Northern California for a meeting with Golden State Sunday, May 31. Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m.

In the first half of what would eventually be a loss, the Aces went up 13 points while engaging in a shooting performance that had the team positioned for well over 100 points by game’s end.

However, what awaited the group was a 34-point second half as the collapse ensued.

Aces forward A'ja Wilson works in the paint against Wings forward Jessica Shepard. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

“I think that was the biggest difference,” Wilson said. “First half we were more physical, the more physical team. In the second half, we kind of didn’t give it our all.”

Dallas won the third quarter, 27-19, in order to send the game into the fourth quarter tied at 72 apiece. Not long into the final frame, the home team snatched its first lead since leading, 17-16, in the first quarter.

Ultimately, it was a 21-9 start to the fourth quarter for the Wings as the Aces fell behind by 12 points.

“The third quarter kind of hurt us,” Wilson said. “Giving up 27 points in the third quarter is not the best, it’s not ideal. I think we lost a little bit of the physicality. 

Dallas forward Jessica Shepard did something that has only been done one time in league history before Thursday night. She posted the second-ever 20-20-10 triple-double with 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists while shooting 8-of-13 from the field.

In addition, the Wings pumped out three 20-point scorers including No. 1 overall pick from this past WNBA Draft Azzi Fudd, who made her first career start.

“We’ve got to be better,” Wilson said. “We’ve been talking about our defense being the difference changer for us since we got beat by 30 against Phoenix. We’re going to continue to get beat until our defense is a little better for 40 minutes.”

Las Vegas guard Jackie Young acknowledges a teammate after knocking down a shot as part of her 15-point night against Dallas. Photo Credit: Las Vegas Aces

Coming off a pair of bad games that saw her shoot 0-for-14 with zero points to show for it, guard Jackie Young had a much more aggressive start to this one.

Despite missing her first four shots of the game, she’d knock down back-to-back field goals about midway through the first quarter. The stretch of two straight games without being in double-figures is now over as she posted 15 points on 7-for-20 shooting to go along with seven assists which sat single assist behind teammate Chelsea Gray for the team-high.

Reserve guard Chennedy Carter started the game a perfect 5-for-5 with 12 points on the board as a result of it. That effort helped Las Vegas with a, 23-4-, start in terms of bench points.

By the final buzzer, the Aces won the bench battle, 32-22, with Carter recording 14 points.

“Most of the time, we like to play out of our defense,” Hammon said. “But we weren’t playing any so that hurts us.”

Wilson led all Aces players with 21 points on 10-of-24 from the field.

The trio of Young, Carter, Wilson combined to shoot one free throw in the loss. As a team, Las Vegas shot just 12 free throw attempts while the home team went to the line 22 times.

“A’ja Wilson shoots one free throw,” Hammon said. “Chennedy Carter zero, Jackie Young zero – I’m fucking tired of that bullshit. I’m not saying [the Wings] didn’t earn their 22 down there but when [center] Awak Kuier shoots more free throws than A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young and Chennedy Carter all combined…that’s a problem. We’re not getting the same whistle.

“Give me my fine.”