ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Story by Cassandra Cousineau Photos by RJ Forbus
Well, Mark Davis — owner of the WNBA Aces and NFL Raiders — was off to a good start for his Sunday sports doubleheader as the defending champion Las Vegas Aces defeated the upstart Dallas Wings in Game 1 of the WNBA semis.
The Aces outscored the Dallas squad, 26-12, in the third quarter on the way to a 97-83 win. The Aces are now two wins away from playing either the New York Liberty or Connecticut Sun for the WNBA title.
Las Vegas’ A’ja Wilson had another dominant game, pouring in 34 points, while her mate, Kelsey Plum, scored 25. Plus, Jackie Young added 19 points.
The Aces host Dallas in Game 2 Tuesday at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena.
Aces coach Becky Hammon told her team three things before today’s game: ”Take care of the glass, take care of the ball, take care of each other.”
That summed up how Las Vegas handled business today.
They’ve now won seven games in a row in their bid to repeat as WNBA champions. With the exception of a short rest for Wilson to start the fourth quarter, Las Vegas was in control from the opening tip.
Wilson was named the league’s Defensive Player of the year for the second year in a row. The WNBA’s reigning MVP was dominant on both ends of the court today. For the first time in five games, Las Vegas outrebounded Dallas, the top rebounding team in the WNBA, 36-29.
The Aces had a whole week of rest after dispatching Chicago in two easy wins in the first round.
“We got the rest we needed, but wanted to come out today with a lot of intensity. We did that,” Wilson said. “It was a great team defensive effort.”
Plum added, “As a team, we clamped down. We just have to take it one game at a time. Playoff basketball is all about making adjustments. We make them, and so will Dallas after today.”