A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum each scored 21 points to lead the Aces to an 85-72 win against the Storm. With the win, the Aces clinch the fourth seed and improve to 26-13, while the Storm drop to 24-15.
The Las Vegas Aces go on a huge run in the 4Q to secure the 85-72 dub over the Seattle Storm ????
A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum led the way for the Aces with 21 PTS each!#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/cvyF4IefNJ
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 18, 2024
Aces Storm
The Aces started the game 7-9 from the field and 1-1 from three, grabbing an early 15-10 lead. A’ja Wilson started the game 5-6 with 10 points and three rebounds, establishing the single-season rebounding leader.
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With 447 rebounds, @_ajawilson22 now has the most total rebounds in a single @WNBA regular season! pic.twitter.com/XTl28ZvdFJ
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 18, 2024
After one quarter of play, the Aces led 29-18, shooting 12-15 (80%) from the field and 3-4 (75% from three).The Aces started the second quarter the same way they finished the first, on fire, with an 18-point lead, 46-28, with three minutes left.
Seattle would buckle down defensively, going on a 12-2 run to end the quarter, reducing the lead to single digits. Kelsey Plum hit a buzzer-beater to close the first half for the Aces.
KELSEY PLUM BEATS THE BUZZER BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST HALF GIVING THE @LVAces THE 8 POINT LEAD ????
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— WNBA (@WNBA) September 18, 2024
Jackie Young, who had her birthday yesterday, got off to a great start, scoring 11 points in the first half. Young went 5-6 from the field and 1-2 from three, with five assists and two rebounds.
Skylar Diggins-Smith and Kelsey Plum traded baskets throughout the third quarter. Diggins-Smith finished the quarter with 8 points, while Plum scored 6.
Kelsey Plum is on automatic ????
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— WNBA (@WNBA) September 18, 2024
The Storm outscored the Aces 21-15 in the third, cutting the deficit to two, 63-61 after three quarters of play. Seattle went 8-15 (53%) in the quarter, while the Aces went 5-15 (33.3%).
Skylar Diggins-Smith scored the Storm’s first four points in the fourth quarter, giving them their first lead of the game, 65-64. The lead did not last long, as the Aces scored the next four points to regain the lead, forcing a Storm timeout. Following the timeout, the Aces went on a 13-3 run to take an 81-67 lead with two minutes left, eventually winning 85-72.
Five Aces scored in double digits, led by A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum who each finished with 21 points. Plum finished the game 7-11 from the field and 5-7 from three while grabbing 7 rebounds.
Wilson ended the game with 7 rebounds and became the single-season rebounding leader, with 451 rebounds and counting.
Jackie Young finished with 16 points (7-10 from the field), 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Chelsea Gray had 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, including three three-pointers.
Tiffany Hayes ended with 10 points, including 6 of her 10 in the fourth quarter.
Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with 19 points (9-15 from the field) and 6 rebounds. Skylar Diggins-Smith ended with 17 points and Gabby Williams scored 14, rounding out the Storm’s double-digit scoring.
On Thursday, the Aces will return home to face the Dallas Wings in the season finale. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on WNBA League Pass.
