Las Vegas tops Atlanta for 20th straight home win

Las Vegas forward A'ja Wilson is pictured inside the Michelob Ultra Arena. Photo Credit: Duna Haigler

Staying hot at home, Las Vegas beat Atlanta by double-digits for its 20th straight home win dating back to last season.

The Aces defeated the Dream, 86-65, Sunday, Aug. 13 from the Michelob Ultra Arena to improve to 15-0 at home this season. In addition, it's the team’s 17th win by 15 points or more.

“Really just a grind it out game for us,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “It wasn’t pretty – they didn’t shoot pretty, we didn’t shoot pretty. But we found ways to win and get separation in that fourth quarter.”

Now, Las Vegas improved to 27-3 on the year, still good for tops in the league. New York sits in second place with a 24-6 overall record. Both teams are the only two teams to clinch playoff spots.

With that, these two teams will compete in this year’s Commissioner’s Cup game set for Tuesday, Aug. 14 from the Michelob Ultra Arena.

That game is scheduled for Tuesday night at 6 PM from The House.

“I think it’s just going to be a good matchup overall,” forward A’ja Wilson said. “I think its the anticipated matchup that everybody has been saying since the offseason when everything went on. But when it comes to us and the game that we play, we just have to stay within our system.”

In this most recent outing, Wilson surpassed her current head coach for second all time in points for the franchise. Hammon was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame the day prior.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon barks out orders during the team's double-digit win over the Dream. Photo Credit: Duna Haigler

"When she told me, I was like, ‘Hand over that burnt orange [Hall-of-Fame] blazer to me,’” Wilson said. “It’s super cool to be able to have that and we’re going to keep going.”

Wilson’s dominance came at a crucial point of the third quarter when Las Vegas countered an 8-0 run by Atlanta with one of its own. The Dream’s run briefly netted them a two-point lead after trailing by six at halftime.

“Eventually, that worm turns,” Hammon said. “That’s how shooting is. You’ve got to be more concerned with the types of shots that you’re getting.”

After the first half of play, Wilson had only four points recorded as she was handcuffed by three fouls. She finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, five steals and two blocks. As she found her rhythm, so did the Aces, eventually going up by 22 points in the final frame.

“Our defense [clicked in the fourth quarter],” Wilson said. “We were just really playing out of our defense. We got stops, we got deflections, we got steals.”

Guard Jackie Young added 17 points including eight in the first quarter. For most of the first half, her eight points led all scorers in an offensive struggle game for both teams.

Las Vegas guard Jackie Young (#0) is helped to her feet by the rest of the starting lineup. Photo Credit: Duna Haigler

“I thought we had decent looks a lot of times,” Hammon said. “We just missed and I thought they missed too. It wasn’t like our defense was so stellar, they just missed but not because of our defense.”

Fellow guards Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum posted 13 points apiece on a combined 9-of-25 from the field.

Reserve forward Cayla George reached double-figures for the first time this season, scoring a season-high 11 points. Her stat line included three made threes, also a career-high.

“Once I started hitting a couple of threes, I felt the pop was a better option [on the pick-and-roll],” she said. “It’s honestly what’s needed at the moment.”

Aces forward Cayla George works through a box-out against Atlanta. Photo Credit: Duna Haigler

Las Vegas came into the game minus another body as reserve forward Alysha Clark (back), who missed her first contest of the season.

“It fuels us,” Wilson said. “That’s what makes us go. When people talk about the core or maybe the starting five, they don’t understand that our role players are behind us through and through.”