Aces show no mercy against shorthanded Tempo in first trip to Canada
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
The first time the Las Vegas Aces took their act international, they went ahead and put on a show.
On Monday, the Aces dropped the hammer on a Toronto Tempo squad that was no at full strength, pulling away early and not looking back in a convincing 109-83 victory.
“We just want to continue to gain momentum,” said Aces head coach Becky Hammon.
“We’re still in the process of trying to get better. We’re not a championship product yet. We’re working our way there so I’ll stay on them on the defensive end, and obviously we want some momentum going into All-Star.”
The 6ix with their woes
From the onset, the Tempo were up against it going into their first-ever matchup against the Aces.
Head coach Sandy Brondello was serving a one-game suspension after comments towards Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese, while key players such as Brittney Sykes, Kiki Rice and Nyara Sabally were all out with injury. Combine that with a poor shooting night from All-Star Marina Mabrey (5-for-21, 1-of-8 from deep), and the Tempo were never close to finding their rhythm on either end of the court. It was not all bad with Isabelle Harrison posting a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds, but it takes more than a one-woman show to stop the Aces.
Long distance calls
While the Tempo struggled to get anything sustainable going on offense, the Aces took advantage and used the three to take control.
Jackie Young would be willing to fire from deep with 10 three-point shots on the game, making four and getting a double-double with 24 points and 12 assists. A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray would hit three three-point shots each, while Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans would provide firepower of the bench with two apiece.
“We’re trying to create advantages for ourselves,” said Hammon about the three-point shooting, particularly from Wilson. “Bringing her into it adds one more element to spreading your defense out to where our guards can kind of pick it apart. Even for A, it makes her off the dribble even more dangerous.”
Block party
Even in a game where the Tempo could get a slight edge on the Aces physically, the blocks were heavily in favor of Las Vegas.
As always, Wilson commanded the defense, punishing ill-fated shots with a game-high four blocks. The rest of the frontcourt would follow her example, with Stephanie Talbot, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Justine Pissott all recording a block as well. Being able to shut down the interior has been a staple of the Aces defense for a long time, and they managed to do so once again with aplomb.
