A’ja Wilson was one assist from a triple-double, NaLyssa Smith gave Las Vegas a perfect night inside, and the Aces had enough offense to hold off Seattle for a 101-91 Commissioner’s Cup win Monday at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Wilson finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, three blocks and one steal. Smith added 16 points and nine rebounds while going 6-for-6 from the field. Jackie Young scored 29 points and hit four 3-pointers, while Chelsea Gray had 12 points, eight assists and five rebounds.
Las Vegas improved to 8-3 and won its fourth straight game. Seattle dropped to 3-10 and lost its sixth straight.
The Aces reached 100 points for the second time this season and the first time since May 10, when they beat the Los Angeles Sparks 105-78 for their first win of the year.
Still chasing the full 40
Before the game, Aces coach Becky Hammon said the team was still working toward a more complete performance.
“We’re inching closer to a full 40,” Hammon said. “We closed the game, won the fourth quarter, so there’s little wins in there that we’ll take with us and try to keep adding to that.”
Monday was not a perfect 40, but it gave the Aces another win to stack.
Seattle led 25-23 after one despite Wilson’s early control at the free-throw line. Wilson scored 14 in the quarter, but Dominique Malonga answered with 12 for the Storm, helping Seattle offset an 8-for-9 start from Las Vegas at the stripe.
The Aces answered in the second quarter through their frontcourt.
Smith changes the second
Smith changed the game in the second quarter.
She converted back-to-back three-point plays, scored through contact and finished a no-look, over-the-head feed from Gray during the Aces’ push. Smith scored three straight Las Vegas baskets during one stretch as the Aces turned a two-point first-quarter deficit into control of the game.
Wilson kept attacking as well. She had 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks by halftime, while Smith had 13 points and seven rebounds.
Las Vegas led 50-43 at the break after outscoring Seattle 27-18 in the second quarter.
Separation, then one more test
The Aces created more space in the third.
Young opened the quarter with quick offense, Wilson kept scoring from every level, and Jewell Loyd connected from deep late in the period. Las Vegas won the third 22-16 and took a 72-59 lead into the fourth.
Wilson’s night also came with another milestone. The arena videoboard recognized her as the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 6,000 career points, adding another record-book moment to a game she controlled from the start.
Still, the fourth quarter was not spotless.
Seattle scored 32 points in the final period and cut the lead to 79-72 with 6:25 left. The Storm kept getting to the line and kept making the Aces work, even after Las Vegas had built a double-digit lead.
Young helped settle it.
She hit a 3-pointer after Seattle cut the margin to six, then made three free throws to push the lead back to eight. Later, she added two more 3-pointers in the final two minutes, including one that pushed the Aces past 100.
Cup wins keep adding up
The win also added to the Aces’ Commissioner’s Cup total.
Las Vegas opened Cup play with wins over Los Angeles, Golden State and Seattle, bringing the Public Education Foundation’s Cup total to $9,000. PEF is the Aces’ nonprofit partner for this year’s competition.
For Seattle, Malonga finished with 19 points and five rebounds. Natisha Hiedeman had 17 points and five assists, Awa Fam scored 16 and Flau’jae Johnson added 13 points and seven assists.
The Storm shot 44% from 3-point range and scored 32 in the fourth, but Las Vegas won the larger battles. The Aces shot 50% from the field, had 27 assists, outrebounded Seattle 38-28 and held a 40-36 edge in the paint.
Up next
The Aces continue Commissioner’s Cup play Thursday with their first game against the expansion Portland Fire. Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Moda Center in Portland, with the game airing on WNBA League Pass and Fox 12 Plus.
The matchup gives Las Vegas its first look at the new Portland franchise and a familiar face in Megan Gustafson, who helped the Aces win a championship before joining the Fire.
Entering Monday, Las Vegas had one of the league’s top offenses, averaging 89.1 points per game. Wilson entered the night leading the Aces at 25.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while Gray was averaging 7.1 assists. Portland is led by Carla Leite, who averages 14 points and five assists, and Emily Engstler, who leads the Fire at 4.6 rebounds per game.
Up Next
The Aces continue Commissioner’s Cup play Thursday with their first game against the expansion Portland Fire. Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Moda Center in Portland.
The matchup gives Las Vegas its first look at the new Portland franchise and a familiar face in Megan Gustafson, who helped the Aces win a championship before joining the Fire.
Las Vegas enters the matchup with one of the league’s top offenses, averaging 89.1 points per game. A’ja Wilson leads the Aces at 25.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while Chelsea Gray is averaging 7.1 assists. Portland is led by Carla Leite, who averages 14 points and five assists, and Emily Engstler, who leads the Fire at 4.6 rebounds per game.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
