The Las Vegas Aces and Minnesota Lynx are not waiting until August to play a big one.
Saturday’s game at Michelob ULTRA Arena brings together the top two teams in the Western Conference standings and the only two unbeaten teams left on the West side of Commissioner’s Cup play.
Minnesota enters 10-2 and riding an eight-game winning streak. Las Vegas is 9-3 and has won five straight after back-to-back 100-point games, including Thursday’s 105-89 win over the expansion Portland Fire.
The Lynx sit one game ahead of the Aces in the regular Western Conference standings. In the Commissioner’s Cup race, both teams are 4-0, but Minnesota owns the point differential edge, +81 to +41.
That makes Saturday more than a normal June game.
The winner takes control of the West Cup race. For the Aces, it is also a chance to cut into a tiebreaker gap and keep building momentum after their offense exploded over the past week.
Aces offense heating up
Las Vegas has scored 101 and 105 points in its past two games, the first time this season the Aces have reached 100 in back-to-back games.
Chelsea Gray is coming off one of the best shooting nights in league history. Gray tied the WNBA single-game record with nine 3-pointers Thursday against Portland, finishing 9-for-13 from deep.
A’ja Wilson also continued her scoring tear. She had 32 points against Portland after posting 34 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists against Seattle.
Wilson leads Las Vegas at 26.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. Gray leads the Aces at 6.8 assists, while Jackie Young averages 15.3 points and 6.6 assists.
Chennedy Carter is set to play her second game back after missing time with a leg injury, giving the Aces another scoring threat off the bench. Carter has played nine games this season and is averaging 15.6 points while shooting 62.8 percent from the field. She also leads Las Vegas at 1.1 steals per game.
NaLyssa Smith has become a steady frontcourt piece beside Wilson, averaging 11.1 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 67.9 percent.
Lynx bring their own firepower
Minnesota is not winning by accident.
The Lynx average 91.1 points per game, just behind the Aces’ 91.4. They also shoot 50.2 percent from the field and average 38 rebounds per game.
Olivia Miles has been one of the league’s best rookies and a leading Rookie of the Year contender. She leads Minnesota with 17.8 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the field.
Natasha Howard gives the Lynx another major problem. She averages 17.4 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds. Courtney Williams is right behind at 17 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists, while Kayla McBride adds 13.8 points.
Minnesota also plays with more defensive pressure than most teams. The Lynx average 8.7 steals, compared with 6.0 for the Aces.
Hammon’s message still fits
Aces coach Becky Hammon said before the Portland game that the Commissioner’s Cup label does not change her approach.
“I don’t care. I want to win every game,” Hammon said. “I don’t care if it’s Commissioner’s Cup. The fact that there’s some money on it, hell yeah, let’s go.”
Hammon said every game matters because the WNBA schedule leaves little room to waste.
“Every game is competitive in the W,” Hammon said. “There’s only 44 of them. They all matter. I’m more concerned with my team playing and getting better every day.”
That applies even more Saturday.
The Aces have been building toward a more complete version of themselves. Wilson and Gray are rolling. Young is creating. Smith has settled into her role. Carter is back in the mix. Jewell Loyd is still searching for consistent rhythm, but Las Vegas has enough offensive options to stretch defenses in different directions.
Now comes the best test of the streak.
Minnesota has the best record in the West, the better Cup point differential and one of the hottest rookie guards in the league. Las Vegas has the hottest offense in the league over the past week and a chance to make the Cup race tighter at the top.
Tipoff is 5 p.m. Saturday at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The game airs on CBS and Paramount+.
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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.
