LAS VEGAS -- Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson had one crystal clear message for her teammates before Sunday's game against the Golden State Valkyries, one day after losing at home by 53 to the Minnesota Lynx: "If you weren't embarrassed from yesterday, then don't come into this gym. You're not needed or wanted here."
Message received.
While Wilson registered her 12th double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds, Jewell Loyd scored a season- and team-high 27 points, Jackie Young finished with 20, and Chelesa Gray scored 11 in Sunday's 101-77 victory over the Golden State Valkyries.
Humbled by the worst home loss in WNBA history, the Aces responded by hitting 46.1% shooting after shooting just 34.3% during Saturday's 111-58 demolition at the hands of the league-best Lynx.
"If you just think, 'Oh well, that's that game,' absolutely not," Wilson said. "That was my message that I relayed to them in getting them to the same mindset that we can all have, that we have to play for each other.
"That's the only way we win anything."
Loyd, a two-time champion and league veteran of 11 seasons who is three years older than Wilson, acknowledged the character of the reigning MVP for her reminding her teammates how special they can be.
"The biggest thing for us is just communicating with each other," Loyd said. "And we all took accountability for that. And, obviously, having A'ja come out and say that, and remind us of what we're doing, why we play the game, wash that game and come in today ready."
With the win, Las Vegas improved to 15-14 and stayed in the playoff hunt in seventh place. The Aces are one-half game in front of Golden State (14-14) and one game back of the sixth-place Seattle Storm (16-13).
The Aces have 15 games remaining on their schedule, including nine more in Las Vegas.
Loyd said the key thing after Saturday's loss, and in response to Wilson's message, was to immediately figure out how the team comes back to rally as a unit - not individually - and carry that out the rest of the season.
"And we did that," Loyd said. "It's a testament to her character, but also the character of this team. Is that things are going to be hard at times, but how do we respond to it, and how do we collectively do it?
"It wasn't just put on one person; it was all of us. We all win together, we all lose together. And that's just a reflection of the character of our MVP."