A’ja Wilson came back Thursday. The Las Vegas Aces turned Saturday into a statement.
The Aces blasted the Phoenix Mercury 106-58 at Michelob ULTRA Arena, setting a new full-franchise record with a 48-point victory. Las Vegas led by 35 at halftime, pushed the lead as high as 54 and turned the third meeting with Phoenix into the kind of runaway that rewrites the record book.
Wilson finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds in 25 minutes. Chelsea Gray added 15 points and 11 assists, and rookie Justine Pissott stole the fourth quarter in her Aces debut.
First punch landed
The Aces spent the preview window talking about starts. Then they delivered one.
Las Vegas held Phoenix to nine points in the first quarter and led 29-9 after 10 minutes. The Aces shot 56 percent in the first half, hit 7 of 13 from 3 and built a 57-22 halftime lead that tied the largest halftime advantage in franchise history.
That was the answer to May 9. Phoenix spoiled ring day with a 99-66 rout at T-Mobile Arena, but the Aces flipped the entire script Saturday. The Mercury never led, shot 26 percent in the first half and had only five assists before the break.
A’ja middle
Wilson did not need a 30-point night to control the game.
She owned the glass, kept Phoenix away from clean paint looks and gave Las Vegas a steady hub in the middle. Wilson had 16 points and 11 rebounds by halftime, then added a third-quarter 3 as the margin kept growing.
By the time she sat for good, Wilson had 21 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. She also went 4-for-4 at the free throw line and finished plus-30.
The Aces outrebounded Phoenix 47-29 and held the Mercury to 28 points in the paint. Wilson set that tone early, and Las Vegas never gave it back.
Gray controls traffic
Gray turned the game into a passing clinic.
She finished with 15 points and 11 assists against one turnover, guiding an Aces offense that produced 30 assists on 39 made baskets. Jackie Young added six assists without a turnover, while Kierstan Bell had four off the bench.
Las Vegas finished 39-for-77 from the field, shot 40 percent from 3 and committed only nine turnovers. That combination gave Phoenix almost no path back.
The Mercury entered with Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper as the pressure points. Instead, Thomas finished with seven points and one assist, while Copper had nine points on 4-for-14 shooting.
Record night
The margin made history.
Las Vegas won by 48, breaking the full Starzz/Silver Stars/Stars/Aces franchise record for largest victory margin. The previous full-franchise mark was 42 points, set by the San Antonio Silver Stars in an 89-47 win over Phoenix on Aug. 19, 2012.
The Aces also broke their Las Vegas-era record. That mark was 41 points, set in a 105-64 win at Seattle on May 20, 2023.
This one cleared both. The Aces led by 54 in the fourth quarter, then closed with the largest win the franchise has ever had.
Pissott spark
Pissott checked in to start the fourth and gave the record push another jolt.
The rookie hit the first five shots of her WNBA career, opening with a 28-foot 3 before adding a jumper, two more 3s and a layup. She also recorded her first career assist on a Cheyenne Parker-Tyus basket.
Pissott finished with 19 points in 10 minutes. She shot 7-for-8 from the field and 5-for-6 from 3.
It was the kind of debut that turned a blowout into its own story. The starters had already done the work. Pissott made sure the bench kept pouring it on.
Bench keeps rolling
The Aces bench did more than protect the lead.
Parker-Tyus had 15 points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes. Jewell Loyd added nine points, three assists and two steals, while Brianna Turner grabbed six rebounds in 12 minutes.
Las Vegas’ reserves combined for 46 points, led by Pissott and Parker-Tyus. That mattered because most of the starters were done early in the fourth, with Sunday’s game against Indiana waiting less than 30 hours away.
Phoenix’s bench produced late points, but the gap was already too wide. Monique Akoa Makani led the Mercury with 13 points, while Lexi Held added 11.
Defensive answer
The Aces did not just score. They smothered.
Phoenix shot 35 percent from the field, went 7-for-31 from 3 and committed 18 turnovers. Las Vegas turned those mistakes into 24 points and held the Mercury to 58 total points.
That was the carryover Becky Hammon wanted after Portland, when she said the Aces were “more disruptive” and “inching closer to what it needs to look like for four quarters.” On Saturday, Las Vegas looked much closer.
The Aces were sharp early, disruptive in the middle and clean enough late to protect a historic margin. After needing 38 good minutes Thursday, Las Vegas did not leave much to grade Saturday.
The Aces answered Phoenix, protected home court and did it with their best margin ever.
Up next
The Aces return to Michelob ULTRA Arena on Sunday to host the Indiana Fever. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. PT, and the game will air on NBC and stream on Peacock.
Indiana beat Las Vegas 84-68 on July 5 at T-Mobile Arena behind 27 points from Kelsey Mitchell and 18 points and 10 rebounds from Aliyah Boston. Sunday gives the Aces a quick chance to answer that loss before an eight-day break.
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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.
