LAS VEGAS — A’ja Wilson scored 30 points and had 14 rebounds, Chelsea Gray added 13 points and 10 assists and the Las Vegas Aces beat Chicago 90-71 on Tuesday, handing the Sky their seventh straight loss.
Chicago’s loss, and Atlanta’s loss in Phoenix, clinched playoff spots for the Mercury and the idle Indiana Fever.
Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) shoots and is fouled by Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso (10) during the second half of an WNBA basketball game, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Las Vegas. L (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Sun via AP)
Tiffany Hayes, who stepped into the starting lineup for Kelsey Plum while she rested a sore ankle, added 20 points for the Aces (21-12), while Jackie Young had 15.
Wilson’s eighth game this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds helped the Aces stay a game up on the Seattle Storm for the fourth playoff spot and home-court advantage in the first round. Wilson also had three blocks, three assists and two steals and did not commit a foul.
She has now scored 139 points in her last four games, tying Maya Moore for the most in a four-game WNBA stretch. Moore did it for Minnesota 10 years ago.
The game was played at T-Mobile Arena instead of the Aces’ usual home arena at Mandalay Bay and drew 18,394 fans, the second-best home attendance in franchise history.
Michaela Onyenwere had 15 points to lead the Sky, who remain tied with Atlanta for the final playoff spot, one game ahead of Washington. Kamilla Cardoso added 14 points, Dana Evans had 13 off the bench and Angel Reese extended her rookie record for double-doubles to 25 with 12 points and 16 rebounds.
The Aces led 47-31 at halftime but the Sky wouldn’t fold. Evans hit a 3-pointer with 3:58 to play to cut the deficit to 78-68. Wilson scored the next six points as the Aces pulled away.
The Aces led 17-13 after one quarter and then scored 13 straight to open the second. Gray scored seven points in the surge and had assists on the other three baskets. They took a 68-51 lead into the fourth quarter as Young had four points to start a closing 8-2 surge.
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Source: USA Today
