Where Are You Las Vegas? You’re Missing Great Basketball; Aces 104 Los Angeles 76 Monday
By Cassandra Cousineau and Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
They’re the Golden State Warriors of the WNBA, an up-tempo, three-point-shooting team that flirts with 100 points nearly every game it plays in the W these days.
They’re the high-flying Las Vegas Aces and they gave Liz Cambage and her Los Angeles Sparks mates a rude welcome-back to Las Vegas with a decisive 104-76 win at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena Monday evening.
The Aces poured in a franchise quarter record of 39 points in the first 10 minutes and were 11 of 12 from three-point land at one point. In all, the Aces sank a team record of 18 three-pointers. It tied a WNBA record.
After three quarters, the Aces led, 85-56, and the game was never competitive as Las Vegas star A’ja Wilson scored her team’s first eight points.
The rout was on very early and the Aces bench players like Theresa Plaisance, Aisha Sheppard, Sydney Colson, Kiah Stokes and Kierstan Bell played in the fourth quarter. Bell was especially impressive, adding a career-high 12 points.
Las Vegas took all four of its games on this homestand and improved to 7-1 — the best in the WNBA. The Aces said attendance was 4,092. It was the third time the Aces scored at least 100 points this season in their seven wins.
“I’m actually more impressed with our defense holding that team to 76 points,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said after the big win.
We played with a lot of pace. But when we play defense we become something special — Aces coach Becky Hammon
Even former NBA star Dwyane Wade enjoyed the action by tossing T-shirts into the crowd.
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Cambage, the former Aces center, a talented six-foot, nine-inch inside player from Australia, had a memorable stint with Las Vegas.
After last season, Las Vegas and Cambage parted as the center found a new home with the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Aces came out flying in the first quarter as both A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young each scored 14 points and Las Vegas piled up a franchise quarter scoring record of 39 points.
After one quarter, the Aces led by 20 points, 39-19, as Cambage rode the bench most of the first quarter.
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In basketball, numbers don’t lie. And if you look at the early season stats of Young, the truth is, she’s having an MVP season. Young scored 19 points tonight.
The first overall selection in the 2019 WNBA Draft, was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from May 16-22. She averaged 21.4 points, 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals on the week, while connecting on 55.3 percent of her field goal attempts, 50.0 percent of her three-pointers, and 88.2 percent of her free throws. Las Vegas went 3-0 on the week, and has won four straight games.
Those numbers, especially consistency from three don’t happen with a Bigs dominant offense as was the case when the team featured Cambage along side team anchor, Wilson. Young has become a pillar of the newly re-configured fast-paced team under Becky Hammon.
Also mission critical to the new guard dominant approach is Chelsea Gray, whose +/- was 13 against the Mercury last week. The team signed the four-time WNBA All-Star to a two-year contract extension today. Gray added 14 points Monday.
“I’m so excited to continue my career with the Aces organization,” Gray said. “The way they treat their players is second to none. Becky and her staff’s vision aligns with the goals I have for myself and this team. I know my value, and I’m grateful for an organization that recognizes that as well.”
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One fan not in attendance was Aces/Raiders owner Mark Davis. He usually sits courtside. But no Davis at the game Monday evening.
The Aces play only one game this week — a Saturday game in Chicago against the league’s defending champs, the Sky.
Then, there are back-to-back games against the Connecticut Sun at Mandalay Bay on May 31 and June 2.
“These next three games we’re gonna get a really solid look at where we’re at,” Hammon said after the game.
PSA
