The Las Vegas Aces needed the separation they built before halftime.
They got just enough of it Sunday.
Las Vegas beat the Chicago Sky 107-99 at United Center, improving to 14-5 and scoring at least 100 points for the sixth time this season. The Aces won the second quarter by 11, then protected that margin through a tense fourth-quarter finish.
A’ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 30 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Jackie Young added 28 points, eight assists and five rebounds, while Chelsea Gray had 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Open floor
The first quarter had almost no drag.
The Aces and Sky combined for 62 points and ended the period tied at 31. Young paced Las Vegas early with 10 points, including two 3s and a four-point play.
Wilson added six points and four rebounds in the quarter. Gray helped the Aces stay organized with two assists, and Chennedy Carter gave Las Vegas a late lift in her return to the rotation.
Carter had not played since June 13, missing five games while the Aces went 3-2. She scored five points late in the first quarter, including the tying 3 with 2.3 seconds left.
Chicago matched Las Vegas with paint pressure. Kamilla Cardoso opened hot after going 13-for-13 in her previous game, but Wilson blocked one of her early attempts. The Sky still scored 24 points in the paint in the quarter and committed no turnovers.
Young separation
The Aces found the game’s first real break in the second quarter.
Young kept driving the gap open. She hit back-to-back 3s midway through the quarter, pushing Las Vegas ahead 50-40, then 53-40.
By halftime, Young had 18 points and five assists. Gray added 12 points and five assists, and Wilson had 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Las Vegas shot 61 percent in the half and went 7-for-14 from three. Chicago still scored 36 points in the paint behind Cardoso and Azura Stevens, but the Aces finally slowed the pace enough to win the quarter 30-19 and take a 61-50 lead into halftime.
Loyd swing
The Aces kept their separation in the third, even as Chicago continued to get paint touches and second chances.
Wilson gave Las Vegas a steady inside-out quarter, reaching 19 points and 10 rebounds. She also hit her first 3-pointer after 11 straight misses from deep, stretching the lead late in the quarter.
The biggest swing came from Jewell Loyd. She hit back-to-back 3s in a 16-second span, pushing the lead to 79-64 and giving the Aces breathing room after Chicago had cut into the gap.
Those shots also moved Loyd up the Aces’ franchise 3-point list. She broke a tie with Jennifer Azzi for 10th, then passed Shameka Christon for ninth.
Young kept controlling the game with 24 points and eight assists through three. Chicago still found offense through Stevens and Cardoso, but Las Vegas shot 10-for-19 from three and took an 86-73 lead into the fourth.
Cushion survived
The Aces had to hold off one more Chicago push.
Wilson briefly went to the locker room early in the fourth after twisting her right ankle while going for a rebound. She returned to the bench, told Becky Hammon “I’m good,” checked back in with 7:05 left and finished the game.
Chicago kept coming. The Sky cut the lead to 103-94 with 1:21 left, but Gray made both free throws to steady Las Vegas. Chicago also missed key free throws late, finishing 16-for-25 at the line.
Wilson added two more free throws with 43.2 seconds left to reach 30 points and push the Aces ahead 107-97. Stevens scored once more, but the margin Las Vegas built in the second quarter held up.
Paint problem
Chicago did plenty of damage inside.
The Sky scored 54 points in the paint and won the glass 36-32. Cardoso finished with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Stevens added 24 points and six rebounds.
However, Las Vegas won the free throw line by a wide margin. The Aces went 31-for-37, while Chicago went 16-for-25. Las Vegas also shot 52 percent from the field and 40 percent from three.
That balance was enough. Young carried the early offense, Wilson finished with another strong all-around game and Gray helped close it late.
Up next
The Aces head to New York on Tuesday for the Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game against the Liberty. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. PT at Barclays Center.
It will be the second meeting in a week between Las Vegas and New York after the Liberty beat the Aces 87-76 on June 23 at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, 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.
