A’ja Wilson came back, and the Las Vegas Aces looked whole again.
Wilson returned from a three-game absence with 32 points and 10 rebounds, and the Aces beat the Portland Fire 88-80 on Thursday at Moda Center. Jackie Young added 19 points and a season-high 11 assists as Las Vegas improved to 16-6 and stayed tied with Minnesota for the league’s best record.
The win also clinched Becky Hammon’s spot as one of the two head coaches for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game. Wilson and Young already are headed to Chicago as All-Stars.
A’ja returns
Wilson wasted no time resetting the game.
She scored the Aces’ first basket on a step-back jumper, then kept working inside as Las Vegas built a 23-18 lead after one quarter. Wilson had 10 points in the period, and the Aces shot 56.2 percent while moving the ball cleanly with seven assists.
Portland stayed close early because Carla Leite got downhill and lived at the free throw line. However, Jewell Loyd gave the Aces a needed bench spark with two first-quarter 3s, helping Las Vegas turn a tied game into a nine-point lead before the Fire closed the quarter with four straight points.
Control restored
The Aces took command in the second quarter.
Wilson scored six of Las Vegas’ first eight points in the period, including a 3 and two free throws that pushed the lead to double digits. NaLyssa Smith later finished an and-one to make it 39-26, and the Aces carried a 45-33 lead into halftime.
Las Vegas shot 58.3 percent in the quarter and held Portland to 35.3 percent. Wilson had 20 points by the break, while Young already had six assists. The Aces’ offense looked organized, direct and far cleaner than it did in Sunday’s loss to Indiana.
Jackie’s table
Young took more control after halftime.
Portland cut the Aces’ lead to seven early in the third, but Young answered with a 3, a pull-up jumper and another 3 during the quarter. She also kept feeding Wilson and Smith as Las Vegas closed the period on a 19-9 push.
The Aces led 69-52 after three. Young had 15 points and nine assists by then, and Las Vegas had its best response to Portland’s only real push. It was another reminder of why Young earned her fifth straight All-Star selection this week.
No real scare
Portland opened the fourth with five straight points, but the Aces never let the game turn.
Smith scored twice inside, then Young made the closing push. She hit a floating jumper, stole the ball and buried a running 3 to stretch the lead to 78-59 with 6:23 left.
Wilson added a late jumper and two free throws before Hammon pulled four starters with 2:36 remaining. Portland trimmed the final margin after the starters exited, but the Aces had already done the work.
Milestone night
Wilson’s return came with a stack of milestones.
She became the first player in 2026 to reach 500 points, hitting the mark in the second-fewest games on record. She also recorded her 100th career 20-point double-double, trailing only Tina Charles on the WNBA all-time list.
Wilson finished 10-for-19 from the field and 11-for-13 at the line. She also passed Seimone Augustus for seventh on the WNBA’s all-time made 2-point field goals list, according to the Aces.
Young recorded her 15th career double-double and 11th points-assists double-double. Smith added 16 points, while Chelsea Gray finished with eight points, seven assists and three steals.
All-Star bench
Hammon’s All-Star coaching spot came with the win.
She will coach in the All-Star Game for the third time, joining Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve as the two head coaches. Reeve recently became the winningest coach in WNBA history.
The Aces also will have two players in the game. Wilson was named a starter, while Young was selected as a reserve. Together, they carried Las Vegas back from Sunday’s loss with the kind of balanced star production the Aces had missed.
Up next
The Aces return to Michelob ULTRA Arena for back-to-back home games.
Las Vegas hosts the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday at 3 p.m. PT, then hosts the Indiana Fever on Sunday at 6 p.m. PT.
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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.
