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Win streak hits double-digits as Aces vanquish Mystics
- Terrel Emerson
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
While the latest Las Vegas win streak hit double-digits Saturday afternoon, it came on the heels of something the team had done just once all year long heading the weekend.
For the second time this season, the Aces beat the Washington Mystics to close a four-game regular season series. The win improved the team’s win streak to 10 straight games while running the team’s road record this season to 10-9.
The 10-game win streak is the franchise’s longest since moving to Las Vegas while simultaneously being the longest win streak in the league since 2021.
“We’re learning how to win together,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “Sometimes you have to go through some rough patches, some tough lessons to get there. Every season is a process and some processes start harder and tougher than others.”Overall, Las Vegas holds a 24-14 record which is good for third in the WNBA standings. After securing the win, the team is now a half game back of Atlanta for the second slot in the league’s standings.
The Aces’ three-game road trip continues Monday, Aug. 25 from Wintrust Arena with a date against the Chicago Sky. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.
“I give the ladies in that locker room a lot of character credit points,” Hammon said. “Because it could’ve easily fallen apart in June and July when it wasn’t looking great and it didn’t.”
Las Vegas went from being down 15 points in the game’s first quarter to leading by the same amount in the fourth quarter.
“It’s going to be different every single game,” forward A’ja Wilson said. “I go in thinking I’ve just got to find a way for my teammates and for us to be great and come out with the win.”
As it has for seven years now, the Aces turned to Wilson in times where the game got tight. At one point of the first half, she connected on six straight makes as her team climbed out in front of Washington.
Wilson rattled off six straight Las Vegas points to start the third quarter as well before finishing her night with 36 points and 13 rebounds for her ninth 30 and 10 game of the year. In addition, she has 10 total 30-point games this season.
“A’ja’s really easy to coach,” Wilson said. “She wants to be great, you can have hard conversations with her. I can get on her, I probably get on her more than anybody. She’s a superstar that allows me to do that.”
Direct opposition Kiki Iriafen held her own to the tune of 21 points and 15 rebounds while playing against the reigning MVP. In total, both teams were deadlocked in the rebounding battle at 34 and in the turnover department with a final mark of 12 apiece.
While the Mystics won the points in the paint battle by 12 points, the biggest difference came in the final shooting percentages. The Aces outshot their opponent 52% to 43% including a 50% three-point shooting mark while holding the home team to 29% on the other end.
“Our battery was our defense in the second quarter,” Wilson said. “I think it just carried over to the third and fourth quarters.”
Las Vegas guard play was dominated by reserve Dana Evans who came up in big moments time and time again for Hammon’s group. She hit two three-pointers in the second quarter, the latter of which tied the game at 30 apiece. She’d follow that up with an individual 8-2 run in the third quarter after Washington tied the game at 53-all.
Evans recorded 21 points in 24 minutes in the win while shooting a very efficient 8-for-11 from the field. Those numbers included a 5-for-6 finish from three-point territory.
“She’s huge for us,” Hammon said. “That microwave scorer, she just gives us a gear – a different kind of gear. When she gets it going early, we definitely want to find time for her.”
Fellow guard Jackie Young was the final Aces player in double-figures with 10 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds. Those eight assists tied for the game-high with teammate Chelsea Gray.
As a team, Las Vegas racked up 27 total assists on 34 made field goals.
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