Las Vegas Aces Tie Semifinals Series Against Seattle Wednesday With Gutty 78-73 Win In Game 2 Before 9,755
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Story by Cassandra Cousineau and Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
It was a must win game for the Las Vegas Aces and WNBA MVP candidate A’ja Wilson carried the league’s top-seeded team to a gritty 78-73 win over the Seattle Storm Wednesday to tie the semifinals at a game each in the Best-of-5 series.
Wilson poured in a playoff career-high 33 points as the Aces finished the third quarter with a 10-2 scoring spree to take an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter before withstanding several Seattle pushes in the final quarter to come away with a tough five-point victory.
“It’s not supposed to be easy. It should be hard,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “Champions don’t just know how to take punches. They know how to throw them.”
It was another intense arena scene at Mandalay Bay hotel-casino with attendance announced at 9,755.
“It’s competitive. You go at them and they go at you,” Seattle’s top-scoring Breanna Stewart said after the game.
Seattle Storm coach Noelle Quinn added after the game, “Super proud of our effort. It’s tough to win a game only shooting 11 free throws.”
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The Aces got off to slow start after one quarter, trailing 23-16 after the score was tied at 11-11 on a Chelsea Gray three-point shot. Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson were each 2-for-5 from the field in the first 10 minutes.
Hammon didn’t give her team any significant rah-rah, let’s go squad locker room speech.
“If we need a pre-game speech tonight, we should just leave the gym and go home,” Hammon said She left it to her team leaders in Gray, Plum, and team anchor Wilson to execute the game plan — the one the Aces got away from in Sunday’s Game 1 three-point loss.
In 34 possessions, Las Vegas passed the ball just once or not at all during that Game 1. “Look we don’t want to spot Seattle 12 points coming out the gate. We also have to move the ball. It’s about doing those little things that got us here,” Hammon said.
Young was limited to six points, but Hammon expects her to improve in Games 3 and 4 in Seattle.
“Most improved. She’ll be most improved next game, too,” Hammon said after the game.
Wilson sure improved her game from the first game to tonight’s game. She scored only eight points Sunday before racking up 33 points on 12-for-18 shooting from the field and 8 of 11 from the free throw line.
Before the game, Hammon received her WNBA Coach-of-the-Year award from WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. Aces guard Jackie Young was awarded the Most Improved Player recognition, while Wilson also received her Defensive Player of the Year Award before the game.
It was a defensive battle and struggle.
Las Vegas shot 38 percent from the field in the first quarter thanks to Seattle’s formidable front court in Breanna Stewart and Tina Charles. Stewart led Seattle with 32 points, while Charles had 17.
By any means necessary. You can’t get game one back. You can’t get game two back either. — Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray
Wilson had 14 points at the half — almost double her entire eight-point game total from Game 1.
Both Gray and Wilson, in their post game comments, remarked how important matchups of the league’s best players is for the growth of the game.
Indeed, fans witnessed a heavyweight battle between Wilson and Stewart tonight.
It was the Wilson and Stewart show in the third quarter. The MVP candidates battled each other, with Stewart piling up 23 points and Wilson 22 points in the middle of the third quarter.
Hammon offered this acronym for TRUST: Talk Remember Unwavering Secure Together
Gray added 19 points, while Plum scored 18 for Las Vegas.
Dearica Hamby, who has been injured and missing games with a knee contusion, took shots and tested the knee during pregame warmups. Hamby did not play.
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Here’s the new “Gucci” row seats the Aces rolled out for the WNBA semifinals.
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Seattle’s star Sue Bird signing pregame autographs.
