Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — It was a rough night for the Las Vegas Aces.
Coach Becky Hammon got tossed midway through the second period with the Atlanta Dream leading by four points.
The Aces’ comeback in the second half never materialized.
The defensive stops never came.
And the three-time champs lost their second straight game, a 97-82 defeat to Atlanta before another sold out crowd at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena.
Atlanta is a legitimate playoff team. The dream were led by Rhyne Howard’s 23 points and Angel Reese and Allisha Gray each scored 21 points a piece. Atlanta improved to 22-13, while the Aces fell to 24-13.
A’ja Wilson led the way for Las Vegas with 27 points, while scoring sidekick Jackie Young added 24.
PSA