Aces clamp Valkyries 92-73 as defense carries home response

The Las Vegas Aces did not leave their defensive correction in Phoenix.

They brought it home.

Las Vegas controlled Golden State almost from the start Sunday, then turned a tight first quarter into a 92-73 win at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Aces shot 62 percent, held the Valkyries to 5-for-30 from three and led by as many as 28.

By the time Becky Hammon went to the bench with 3:48 left, the Aces had already made the point.

Spacing squeezed

Golden State came in hot, but the Aces took away its best idea.

Before the game, Hammon said the Valkyries play with “a lot of space” and run “basically five out.” Las Vegas answered by closing down the arc early and forcing Golden State into a rough shooting afternoon.

The Valkyries missed their first seven 3s and went 1-for-15 from deep in the first half. They finished 5-for-30, and their spacing never became the problem it was supposed to be.

Run before halftime

The game broke open in the second quarter.

Golden State started the period with a push, but NaLyssa Smith steadied Las Vegas inside and at the free throw line. Then the Aces finished the half on a 24-4 run.

Chelsea Gray hit a 3, and Jackie Young followed with a 26-footer in the final seconds to send Las Vegas into halftime with a 50-30 lead.

That shot did more than close the half. It fit the way Young controlled the afternoon.

Young moves up

Young led the Aces with 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting. She also had five assists and no turnovers.

She added a franchise milestone, too. Young passed Hammon to move into No. 2 on the Aces’ all-time assists list.

Gray also kept the ball moving with 15 points and nine assists. Before the game, Hammon said the Aces become “a different kind of animal” when the ball pops.

For most of Sunday, that was the picture.

Offense everywhere

Las Vegas did not need A’ja Wilson to carry the offense by herself.

Wilson still finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a plus-27. However, the balance made the game feel different.

Smith scored 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting. Jewell Loyd gave the bench a clean response with 14 points and four 3s after going scoreless in Phoenix. Kierstan Bell added five points and helped stretch the lead in the third.

The Aces had 21 assists on 36 made baskets and scored 46 points in the paint.

Statement, then rest

Golden State made a small push in the fourth, but the game had long been decided.

Las Vegas led 77-49 after three quarters and 87-64 when Hammon went to the bench. The Valkyries scored 24 in the fourth, but most of that came after the Aces had emptied the floor.

For Las Vegas, the win completed a strong week of course correction. The Aces clinched a Commissioner’s Cup matchup with New York in Phoenix, then followed it with one of their most complete performances of the season.

Golden State brought spacing, momentum and a four-game winning streak.

The Aces took all three away.

Up next

The Aces stay home Tuesday for a Commissioner’s Cup preview against the New York Liberty at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PT on USA Network.

New York enters at 11-5 after a loss to Washington, but the matchup still brings two of the league’s top offenses together. The Liberty average 88.6 points per game, while the Aces enter at 89.9. It also offers an early look at the teams already set to meet again in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game on June 30.