Story by Cassandra Cousineau and Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
The Las Vegas Aces started their quest for a WNBA title Wednesday as big favorites as they defeated a scrappy Phoenix Mercury team, 79-63, in the first game of the first round of the playoffs. Attendance was reported at 8,725, a decent Wednesday crowd when capacity is 10,000. In the Best-of-3 series, the Aces can wrap up the series on Saturday at Michelob Ultra Arena on the Strip.
“That’s a team that just has to go out there and hoop. The pressure’s on us,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said after the win.
It was a grind it out game. — Aces coach Becky Hammon
Phoenix was without two of its main scorers — Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi. The Aces missed Dearica Hamby, a starter and tough rebounder and defender.
LVSportsBiz.com spoke with Aces owner Mark Davis, who said being a big favorite doesn’t mean anything. He cited the Aces’ loss to Atlanta here on the floor at Michelob Ultra Arena earlier this season.
Hammon was also on a mission. She knew the goal of the 2022 Las Vegas Aces is to be the last team standing in September delivering the organization’s (and Las Vegas’) first WNBA championship.
“Nobody signed up to just win in the regular season.” She’s right. Four of the Aces’ five starters signed team-friendly extensions this year.
Olympian Jackie Young and eighth-year guard Chelsea Gray got their deals done early in the season agreeing to two-year extensions. WNBA All-Star and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year, the injured Hamby also signed a deal for two more years.
The final piece of the puzzle came together late July when Kelsey Plum, the team’s leading scorer, and the 2021 Sixth Woman of the Year, joined her Olympic gold medal-winning teammate and signed a two-year contract extension. That renders the starting five all under contract through the 2023 season.
Even though the Aces were a big 15-point favorite for tonight’s game, all of that fire power undeniably comes with a degree of pressure.
Hammon accepts all of it.
“There’s always pressure to win no matter what side you’re on. We know what we need to do. This is what we’ve been working for all season,” she said.
The Aces started slowly and eventually took a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 21-20. But they shot only 35 percent against a depleted Phoenix squad, missing the great Brittney Griner, being illegally detained in Russia.
Even with MVP favorite A’ja Wilson sinking only one of her first seven shots, the Aces led, 40-30, at one point in the second quarter. She finished with eight points.
At the half, the Aces were up, 42-37.
Attending the game was famed Olympian Tommie Smith, who sat next to his friend, Davis, courtside.
After three quarters, the Aces led, 51-46, in a very physical game. Each team scored only nine points in the third quarter.
The Aces finally polished off the Mercury with an improved fourth quarter. Gray broke the game open after she was hit hard on a drive to the hoop. Plum led scorers with 22, while Gray had 17 and Young 16.
“We can all say I got a little upset,” Gray said. “I didn’t forget. I didn’t forget from last year.”
The Aces play Phoenix in Game 2 on Saturday.