Las Vegas Aces Rally For Win Over Washington Before Another Packed House In Home-Opener Friday
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Story by Cassandra Cousineau Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The Las Vegas Aces played in front of their 27th consecutive sold-out crowd at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay and the packed house watched the Aces pull off a last-minute comeback win over the Washington Mystics thanks to a clutch 3-pointer from newcomer Jewell Loyd with only 2.5 seconds left in regulation.
Loyd’s three ball gave the Aces (2-1) a 75-72 win after Las Vegas trailed most of the game before rallying in the game’s final minutes.
It was the home-opener for the Aces after Las Vegas lost the 2025 season-opener in New York but gained a win against Connecticut last week.
So, it was the home debut for Loyd, the team’s marquee offseason acquisition, and she delivered in style.
After Kiah Stokes blocked a potential go-ahead layup by Washington’s Jade Melbourne, Aces’ superstar A’ja Wilson found Loyd in the let corner of the court.
The Olympian buried the three-point tiebreaker to electrify the Vegas crowd and deliver the win.
The Aces needed every ounce of resilience and championship DNA to escape with the comeback win over the short-handed Washington Mystics. The Aces entered the game as 14.5 point favorites.
Las Vegas trailed trailed, 72-66, with 1:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Aces then closed out the game with a 9-0 run, capped by Loyd’s dagger off the pass from Wilson, who drew a double-team at the free-throw line before finding the open shooter.
“Everybody in the building knew that basketball was going to A’ja Wilson,” said Aces guard Chelsea Gray, who inbounded the ball on the final possession. “We pretty much knew they were going to show a double-team. They were doing it all night. We just needed to knock it down, and A’ja saw it wasn’t for her.”
Wilson’s fifth assist of the night marked a career milestone—her 500th, and came after she battled through a quiet first half, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and the game-winning pass.
Aces Survive Tough Shooting Night
The Aces hit just 34.8 percent from the field and 24.2 percent from beyond the arc, while the Mystics nailed 50 percent from deep.
Loyd, who had struggled for much of the game—1-for-9 from the field before her final shot—was given the green light by her teammates to keep firing.
“Everyone was just telling me to keep shooting,” Loyd said. “That’s what this team is about—trusting each other.”
But when it mattered most, Aces sharpshooter Jackie Young took over.
Young, also an Olympian, scored six straight points during the comeback, including the game-tying layup with 11.6 seconds left, and finished with a game-high 25 points.
Gray added 17 in a strong showing for a player who looks fully back after an injury-plagued 2024 season.
Stokes Comes Up Big on Defense
On the final defensive stand, Stokes blocked Jade Melbourne’s attempt at a go-ahead layup, igniting the sequence that led to Loyd’s heroics.
The win came after the Aces split their first two games on the road, and served as a high-stakes introduction for fans eager to see how this retooled team performs with Loyd now in the mix. The Aces acquired Loyd in a three-team deal before the season, which included saying goodbye to longtime former Aces star Kelsey Plum, who is now in Los Angeles with the Sparks.
Olympians Honored
The evening began with an Olympic tribute ceremony honoring Wilson, Young, Gray, and Loyd—all part of Team USA’s gold medal-winning roster from the 2024 Paris Olympics. Each was presented with a commemorative ring during an emotional pregame celebration.
The first 7,500 fans in attendance were also given a Stokes pin for part of a five-part player pin series.
Despite the celebratory atmosphere, head coach Becky Hammon made it clear, “We’re fortunate to win that game. I mean, they dug really deep, and I give them a lot of credit. We’ll try to learn from it and be better.”
The Mystics were shorthanded, dressing only eight players while missing standout Brittney Sykes, who was sidelined with a leg injury after scoring 30 points in her previous outing. Despite the roster limitations, Washington held the lead most of the game and late into the fourth quarter until Las Vegas staged its rally.
The Aces now hit the road for a two-game stretch, starting with a trip to Seattle to face the Storm before returning home to Michelob ULTRA Arena on May 30 to take on the Los Angeles Sparks.
That matchup will carry extra significance as it marks the first time Plum returns to Las Vegas as a member of the Sparks, following that blockbuster offseason three-team trade that landed her to L.A. while the Aces got Loyd.
After Loyd nailed the game-winner Friday night, the Aces were happy they had the sharpshooter on their roster.
