A’ja Wilson’s status is the first question. The next one may decide the game.
Wilson hinge
Wilson missed Tuesday’s 93-85 Commissioner’s Cup loss to the New York Liberty after rolling her ankle late in Sunday’s 107-99 win at Chicago.
That matters for obvious reasons. Wilson had 30 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and three blocks against the Sky. She also went 13-for-16 at the free throw line, which changed the game’s math.
If Wilson plays, Chicago has to deal with the same problem it could not solve six days ago. If she sits, the Aces need to replace more than scoring. They need to replace rim pressure, rebounding, defensive coverage and the foul-line force that kept the Sky chasing.
Brooklyn lesson
The Aces did not win in New York. Still, they found something useful.
Without Wilson, Las Vegas fell behind by 17, then leaned into smaller lineups and took a fourth-quarter lead. Becky Hammon liked the fight, but she also pointed to the cost.
“I thought we competed, and I was really proud of the way we buckled in and fought for each other,” Hammon said after the game.
However, the Aces still needed “one more player to have a big game,” Hammon said. They also needed one more clean late-game stretch.
That is the line between a good shorthanded effort and a usable blueprint.
Young’s turn
Jackie Young has already shown what Plan A can look like.
Young scored 28 points with eight assists against Chicago. Then she scored 31 with seven assists against New York. Those games came in different settings, but they pointed to the same answer.
When Las Vegas needs offense to organize around someone other than Wilson, Young has to touch the ball early and often.
“It’s just about getting her the ball and freeing her up, shaking her loose a little bit,” Hammon said. “Jack will get cooking. You just give her the ball enough and she’ll find her spots.”
Chelsea Gray saw the same thing.
“She can be a load every time she touches the basketball,” Gray said.
That is more than a compliment. It is a tactical note. Young can score at the rim, in the midrange and from three. She also can punish overhelp by moving the ball. Against Chicago, that matters because the Sky will have to decide how much attention to send her way if Wilson cannot play.
Paint pressure
Chicago’s clearest path is not complicated.
Kamilla Cardoso and Azura Stevens each scored 24 points against Las Vegas on Sunday. The Sky scored 54 points in the paint and won the glass 36-32. Those are not small warning signs.
They are the preview.
Cardoso gives Chicago a target near the rim. Stevens stretches the matchup and can attack from multiple spots. Together, they forced Las Vegas to defend size, movement and second chances.
Wilson covered plenty of that in Chicago. If she sits, NaLyssa Smith, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Brianna Turner have to absorb a bigger share. The Aces can go smaller, but New York showed the risk. Smaller lineups helped Las Vegas score, but the Liberty hurt the Aces on the offensive glass late.
Hammon said that tradeoff clearly after the Cup loss.
“What we felt we needed offensively sometimes can hurt you defensively,” Hammon said.
That same choice may show up again Friday.
Carter variable
Chennedy Carter could be one of the swing pieces.
She had 11 points in 16 minutes against Chicago, then followed with 18 points in the Commissioner’s Cup loss. More important, she gave Las Vegas downhill pressure.
Gray said Carter puts “a lot of pressure on the paint.” Hammon noted that Carter is still working her way back with her conditioning, but she also praised the effort.
That matters if Wilson is limited or out. The Aces cannot just rely on jumpers. They need paint touches, drive-and-kick chances and free throws.
Carter gives them another way to bend the defense. However, Las Vegas also has to keep the floor organized around her pace. If she gets downhill without the ball popping, Chicago’s size can still crowd the lane.
The real carryover
The Aces beat Chicago the first time because they won the efficiency battle.
Las Vegas shot 52 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 31-for-37 at the free throw line. The Aces also had only 11 turnovers. So, even though Chicago won the paint and the glass, Las Vegas still had enough clean offense to control the middle quarters.
That is the formula if Wilson plays.
If she does not, the formula changes. The Aces need Young to lead the scoring burden, Gray to manage pressure, Carter to attack the paint and the frontcourt to survive the Cardoso-Stevens problem.
They also need the defensive stretches to last longer. Gray said after the New York loss that Las Vegas needed “two more solid defensive possessions.” Hammon noted the Aces held New York to 14 points in the third quarter, then gave up 28 in the fourth.
For a team still short of the halfway point, that is the lesson. The Aces know they can respond. Now they need to start cleaner, defend longer and avoid needing a comeback to prove their fight.
Game details
The Aces face the Sky on Friday at T-Mobile Arena. Las Vegas enters 14-5, while Chicago is 6-13. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PT on ION and WNBA League Pass.
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Aces rally without Wilson, but Liberty claim Commissioner’s Cup
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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.
