LAS VEGAS (May 18, 2024)—Double-doubles from A’ja Wilson (22 points, 10 rebounds) and Jackie Young (22 points, 11 assists) helped the Las Vegas Aces (2-0) hold off the Los Angeles Sparks (0-2), 89-85, on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas. Also contributing double-digit scoring efforts in the victory were Kelsey Plum (17 points) and Alysha Clark (13 points).
Box Score | Highlights | Photo Gallery
First Quarter Highlights (Los Angeles 18, Las Vegas 16)
Neither team held more than a 4-point lead in a quarter that saw four knotted scores and a pair of lead changes. The Aces shot just 23.8% from the field, while the Sparks connected on 43.8% of their field goal attempts. Plum had 5 points to lead the Aces. LA was led by Kia Nurse‘s 9 point.
Second Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 42, Los Angeles 33)
With the Aces ahead 23-20, the Sparks went on a 12-2 run over a 2:17 span for their largest lead of the game, 32-25, at 5:29. The Aces then strung together 15-straight points over 2:30, which included a 3-pointer from 4 different players. Las Vegas never trailed again. Both teams hit for an even 50% from the field in the second, but the Aces scored 11 points off of LA’s 8 turnovers, while giving up just 2 points on their own 3 miscues. Wilson led the Aces with 6 points and Rickea Jackson had 8 for Los Angeles.
Third Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 71, Los Angeles 59)
The Aces expanded their lead to 12 points, 50-38. A 9-0 Sparks run was countered with an 8-2 spurt from Wilson to make the score 58-48 at 4:43. From there, neither team scored more than 5 in a row and the Aces held a 12-point lead with 10 minutes to play. Wilson shot 5 of 6 from the field and finished with 12 points. Dearica Hamby scored 14 on 6 of 7 of her field goal attempts for LA.
Fourth Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 89, Los Angeles 85)
The Aces went up 13, but the Sparks made a late push to cut the Vegas advantage o 4, 84-80, at 2:37. Wilson and Young scored the game’s final 5 points to seal the win. Young had 10 points on a perfect 4 of 4 from the field, 2 of 2 from distance in the period. Hamby scored 8.
KEY STATS
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Las Vegas made 14 of 16 free throws attempts, while Los Angeles went just 9 for 15.
The Aces outscored Los Angeles 10-6 on second chance points. On the flip side, however, the Sparks outscored the Aces 52-34 points in the paint and 20-8 in transition.
The Aces gave up 14 points off their 12 turnovers, and converted the Sparks’s 18 miscues into 23 points.
After their slow start, the Aces finished the game shooting 42.5% (31-73) from the field overall, and 41.9% (13-31) from 3-point, while the Sparks made 51.5% (34-66 FGs) of their field goal attempts and 35.7% (5-14) from afar.
GAME NOTES
Wilson’s 22 points and 10 rebounds marked the 78th double-double of her career, which ranks fourth among active WNBA players.
Tonight marked the 66th game (regular season and playoffs) for Wilson with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, a feat she has now accomplished in 29% of her 228 WNBA games.
Kate Martin scored the first points of her pro career with a 3-pointer at 1:13 in the second quarter.
Young’s 22 points and 11 assists marked her first point/assist double-double, and established a new career-high in assists. Young dished out 10 in two games as a rookie in 2019.
Wilson (348 career blocks), who had 2 blocked shots, needs just 1 to tie Elena Delle Donne (349) for 18th on the WNBA all-time blocked shot list.
Hamby posted a career-high 29 points (12-16 FGs, 5-11 FTs) to lead all scorers.
The Aces were without the services of Chelsea Gray (lower left leg injury).
The attendance mark of 10, 286 is the fourth-largest crowd for an Aces game at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Las Vegas’ most attended home game since the team’s arrival in the Sports & Entertainment Capital of the World is 17,406 at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 10, 2023, against Phoenix.
NEXT UP
Las Vegas remains at home for the next two games beginning with Tuesday’s 7 pm PT tip against the Phoenix Mercury (0-1) on the Silver Stats Sports & Entertainment Network. The team closes out its four-game homestand with a May 25 contest against the Indiana Fever (0-3) on NBA TV.
