Aces stay hot on the road in Sparks win

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Las Vegas Aces have found comfort in enemy confines. 

The defending champions beat the Los Angeles Sparks 79-69 at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night, extending their red-hot start to the season on the road. The Aces are 6-1 away from home and 0-2 in Vegas. 

The victory was the Aces’ second straight, improving to 6-3 on the year, and a consecutive 10-point triumph after their 91-81 win over the Valkyries in Golden State last week. 

Playing without a significant chunk of their bench mob — with Jewell Loyd and Chennedy Carter out — the Aces ran an eight-deep rotation and, as is the case most nights, leaned on the ever-great four-time MVP A’ja Wilson to kick off Commissioner's Cup play on a positive note.

Wilson dropped a monster double-double (25 points, 15 rebounds), to go along with five blocks and three steals — becoming the only player in the last four seasons to achieve a 25-15-5 statline. It was also Wilson’s 94th career 20-point double-double, the second most in history behind Tina Charles (110). 

With her five blocks, Wilson rose to No. 8 all-time in the WNBA (556). On the feat, the Aces’ star said: “(Blocks) are just a tool in my toolbox. I want my guards to be able to trust me in the backline, or anywhere, when it comes to the defensive end. 

“I hope that I can continue to be that for them. I feel like blocks are kind of a momentum shifter at times, so if I can put myself in the best position to take that approach, I will be there for them.” 

Wilson shot 50 percent from the field on the night (10-20) and was aided by a pair of strong performances from her backcourt. Jackie Young — who is breaking out of her early-season slump — poured in 16 points and added 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal. 

Chelsea Gray chipped in with 12 points, 4 boards, 11 dimes, and a pair of steals — becoming the fourth player in WNBA history to amass 4,500+ points, 1000+ rebounds, 1,500+ assists, and 100+ blocks, joining Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, and Alyssa Thomas. 

The Aces needed every bit of their scoring to overcome a poor showing at the free-throw line. The visitors went 9-16 while the Sparks converted 23 of their 27 attempts from the stripe. 

However, playing without their star Kelsey Plum, the Aces were able to clamp down on the Sparks defensively, holding them to just a 31 percent field goal efficiency. Rae Burrell paced the hosts with 22 points as she slotted into the starting lineup. Nneka Ogwumike added 12 points and 12 boards. Erica Wheeler scored 10 points. 

Coming off turning in yet another stellar display inside the opening 10 games of the season, Wilson was asked about how the game has changed for her from her first MVP to her fourth. Her answer precisely broke down why she is such an unstoppable force. 

“My first MVP was in the bubble, and I think I was just rolling with the punches and going with the flow,” she said. “I was a kid, and I just got lucky the ball went in the basket a few times (laughs). Fast forward to now, I think the game has definitely slowed down for me. And I think I’m allowing myself to slow down too. 

“At first, I was just out there running around. Now, I’m trying to take the game possession by possession. I’ve been getting a lot of different looks on the defensive end, and the first MVP A’ja wouldn’t have even thought about that. It would’ve just been like, 'Get out of my way'.

“This A’ja really tries to dissect the game in a way that I can slow it down for myself and make my teammates better.” 

The Aces will return home on Saturday, hoping to deliver their home fans a premiere win when they face the Valkyries for the second time in a week.