Aces’ First Season in Las Vegas Winds Down as Playoff Hopes Slip Away

 

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

 

Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell

 

Las Vegas — There was undefeated boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather sitting courtside and counting his money.

 

There was the fan who heaved a basketball from half court through the hoop during a break in the action.

 

And the Breast Cancer awareness night participants helped raise $10,675 for the American Cancer Society.

 

Aces fans came ready to support team mascot Bucket$, a rabbit.

 

Those were the highlights of Thursday night’s Las Vegas Aces’ game, which saw the WNBA team look lethargic and lacking energy in an 89-73 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. The Aces dropped to 12-18, with the team’s playoff aspirations looking bleak.

 

The team announced attendance at 4,497 at Mandalay Bay Events Center, which holds about 7,500 or so. In downtown Las Vegas, another team called the Aces also lost. The Las Vegas 51s minor league baseball team defeated their northern Nevada rivals, the Reno Aces, 10-4, at Cashman Field. The 51s announced attendance at 3,850 during Thursday’s Dollar Beer Night. The 51s, of the Triple A Pacific Coast League, are now 58-58.

 

 

 

Aces coach Bill Laimbeer lamented that players looked tired and lacked pep, as the Aces trailed in the second period and never took a lead from that point.

 

 

The Aces were led by A’ja Wilson with 18 points, but she struggled with her shooting, hitting only four of 16 field goal attempts. Tamera Young scored 16 points.

 

 

 

The Aces trail Dallas for the eighth and final playoff berth by 2 1/2 games with only four games left. The Aces are back in action Saturday when Indiana, the WNBA club with the worst record at 5-24, visits Mandalay Bay Events Center.

 

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