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The Las Vegas Aces appeared to show a glimpse of what the final product could look like as they were treated Wednesday night to the return of its former Finals MVP point guard.
A returning Chelsea Gray helped Las Vegas oust Seattle, 94-83, Wednesday night from inside the Michelob Ultra Arena. Prior to the outcome, the two-time defending champions had lost four of its last five outings.
“Just going out there and trying to put together a full 40 minutes and just having fun with it,” guard Jackie Young said. “We were excited to have Chels back and kind of get back to our normal flow.”
Las Vegas has now evened the regular season series after dropping the first contest between the two Western Conference rivals earlier this month. One more game remains on the team’s current three-game homestand.
Friday night the 7-6 Aces will host the Connecticut Sun who currently sport the league’s best record at 13-1. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.
“We’re just worried about us right now,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “We have our own plate that we’re still trying to separate the food on. Connecticut is a team we know is going to come in here and Connecticut is going to make you beat them.”
Gray made her season debut with just under two minutes to go in the first quarter. Nearly instantly, she tallied her first assist on the season on a made corner three from teammate Alysha Clark.
In her first game of the season, Gray reached the 1,500 career assists threshold.
“A little emotional,” she said of her season debut. “Excitement – I was anxious all day [...] It’s been a long time since I’ve been out on that court.”
In the second quarter, Gray stripped guard Skylar Diggins-Smith as she drove the lane, racking up her second block in three possessions. Just before halftime she’d record her first point of the season as she’d close the night with seven assists and four rebounds.
“Just her presence is such a calming factor out there,” Hammon said of Gray. “She gets us some layups, gets us some paint points. I can draw up stuff that I know even if there’s a thread of an opening she’s going to be able to get it to them.”
Las Vegas nabbed its first lead of the game with 8:21 left in the first quarter and it would not relinquish it the rest of the way. The team went on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 13 points during the opening 10 minutes.
In the third quarter, Seattle was limited to four points over a four-minute stretch.
“Just engaged at the point of attack from the guards to the post,” Gray said. “Everybody was very physical, communicating. Everybody was just locked in. If we defend, we’re really really hard to beat.”
Storm starting guards Diggins-Smith and Jewell Loyd were held to just three points on 1-of-5 shooting in the first half. Late in the third quarter, the latter was given a technical foul while arguing with a referee.
As a team, Seattle was outshot 55% to 44% from the field while being held to a 25% mark from deep.
“Just locked in,” Hammon said. “Better physicality, better pick up points. You could tell it was a priority for them, there was a sense of urgency and that’s what we need.”
Guard Jackie Young scored 14 of her game-high 32 points in the first quarter. She now has two 30-point games in her last three outings for Las Vegas.
“That girl is so good,” Gray said. “Everytime I get on the floor I think she’s going to do amazing things. It was great to be able to pass her the basketball. But being out there on the floor and seeing her get that 32 and be out there with her – that girl good.”
Center A’ja Wilson closed the show, scoring 16 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter. That includes a stretch of 12-straight points scored for her Aces.
“Just getting A’ja in space,” Hammon said. “I called some [after-timeout plays] for her to see if she could turn the corner and she did. She’s really tough when she comes out of that right corner because she gets her dominant hand.”
Guard Kelsey Plum added 11 points while fellow guard Tiffany Hayes contributed 10 points in her first start of the season.
“I like her speed for sure,” Hammon said. “Her ability to get downhill gives us another gear. You put KP, Jackie and her out on that perimeter and all of a sudden we get very fast.”
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