In a time when the Las Vegas Aces are currently bringing in reinforcements and switching up the end of their lineup, they decided now was the time to bring back the most powerful weapon in their arsenal.
The decision paid off in spades for the Aces on Thursday, as A’ja Wilson played a crucial role with another 30-point double-double to lead her team to a 88-80 road victory over the Portland Fire.
“It was really good for 38 minutes,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “It’s more disruptive. Just inching closer to what it needs to look like for four quarters.”
Return of the Queen
Wilson picked up right where she left off, proving why she was on course for an unprecedented fifth MVP award.
The Aces went back to the tried and true strategy of feeding Wilson, and it worked like a charm. The All-Star starter notched 32 points to lead the game, as well as pulled down 10 rebounds. Wilson also landed three assists, two blocks and two steals, cementing herself as the same all-around force she was before her injury.
“I was just testing my ankle, see if it was ready to rock and roll,” said Wilson. “I always felt like I was ready a couple games ago, but medical staff said something different. I just knew I had to be aggressive and just take what the defense was giving me.”
All-Star Special
Not to be outdone by her teammate, Jackie Young showed why she was deserving of an All-Star nod in her own right.
Young put up 19 points in the contest, more than any single Portland player, on an efficient 8-for-11 from the floor (3-of-5 from three-point distance). She would also continue to showcase her distribution chops, putting up a game-high 11 assists to give herself a double-double alongside Wilson’s. The Aces are a difficult team to beat when both of their All-Stars are firing on all cylinders, and the Fire simply had no answers.
“You know Jack’s going to have the ball a lot for us. We need the ball in her hands a lot,” said Hammon about Young’s ability to facilitate. “She was just making decisions tonight getting down in the paint. She had dump outs, she had spray outs. That kind of loosened her game up offensively, and she got off a little bit there in the second half, scoring-wise.”
Fighting Fire with Fire
While Wilson and Young lead the charge, the Aces were aided by some miscues from the expansion Fire.
The Aces were able to take advantage of sloppy play from the Fire with 13 steals; Young and Chelsea Gray would tie at three apiece, while Wilson, NaLyssa Smith and Jewell Loyd each added two. The Fire also shot a woeful 34.4 percent from the three-point line, and leading scorer Carla Leite (13 points) did so on an inefficient 2-for-6 from the floor. The struggles from the Fire to solve the Aces allowed the defending champions to grab an early lead and keep their opponent at arm’s length the entire night, never allowing them to grab a lead once.
“I think defense is something we’ve been focused on since the start of the year,” said Smith. “It’s something that’s our focus and we go out there and try to execute every chance we get.”