SEATTLE -- The Las Vegas Aces’ defensive woes came to a head Sunday, as the team allowed its highest opposing scoring total since 2022 in a 102-82 loss to the Storm.
Las Vegas wasn’t much better on the offensive end either. A’ja Wilson’s 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting led an anemic effort from the starting lineup that saw Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd combine for just 51 points.
The game marked Loyd’s return to Seattle after she was traded to the Aces this offseason, though her 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting was surely not the statement she was hoping to make upon her return. Gray was held below five assists for the fourth consecutive game to start the season, which she hasn’t done since August 2021 in her first season in Vegas.
“It's on us, as the starting five, to make sure that we're just prepared for anything that comes our way,” Wilson said. “Because we're going to get everyone's best shot, always. (We need to) make sure that we're not always hesitant with things and that we’re coming out first and being aggressive.”
The lone bright spot for the Aces was the performance of rookie Liz Kitley. Kitley registered career-highs with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 16 minutes off the bench. Kitley’s performance comes in just her fourth game of WNBA action after she missed the entirety of what should have been her rookie season in 2024 with a torn ACL suffered in her senior season at Virginia Tech.
The Aces are off until Friday, but they return home for a big game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Michelob Ultra Arena that will mark Kelsey Plum’s first game in Las Vegas after being traded for Loyd. That game is set to tip at 7 p.m. and will air nationally on ION.