Las Vegas answered an ugly loss with its sharpest response.
The Aces routed Toronto 109-83 on Monday behind crisp ball movement, efficient shooting and sustained defensive pressure. A’ja Wilson scored 26 points, Jackie Young added 24 points and a season-high 12 assists, and Las Vegas finished with 29 assists against seven turnovers.
The Aces shot 58 percent, scored 54 points in the paint and held the Tempo to 39 percent.
Early answer
Toronto opened with an 8-3 lead, but Las Vegas quickly found its edge. A’ja Wilson blocked two shots and hit a 3-pointer before the offense began to roll.
Jackie Young scored 12 points and handed out four assists in the quarter. She attacked from the arc, midrange and paint as the Aces moved ahead 30-24.
Las Vegas shot 60 percent and made six 3-pointers. Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans also connected from deep.
Two-way surge
The Aces kept pressing in the second quarter and built a 60-44 halftime lead. Wilson scored 12 points in the period, while Gray continued to stretch Toronto’s defense.
NaLyssa Smith added eight points and kept finding clean looks inside. Young created three more baskets as Las Vegas reached 60 points before the break.
Meanwhile, the defense tightened. The Aces forced five turnovers, including three shot-clock violations, and held Toronto to 20 points.
Joy returns
Smith opened the second half with two baskets before Wilson reached 20 points for the sixth straight game. Wilson also buried her third 3-pointer and finished the quarter with 24 points and four blocks.
Young recorded her fourth double-double of the season. Gray added three steals, while Las Vegas forced five more turnovers and pushed its lead to 24.
The Aces looked loose again. After Gray answered a turnover with a steal, Young and Wilson combined for a quick finish. Young, Wilson and Becky Hammon shared a laugh as Las Vegas carried an 86-65 lead into the fourth.
Clean close
Las Vegas never gave Toronto a path back. Gray and Wilson scored early, then Young added a pullup and a step-back 3-pointer.
Young’s assist on Smith’s late layup gave her a season-high 12. Smith finished with 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting, while Wilson went 11 of 14 from the field and 3 of 3 from deep.
The bench handled the closing minutes. Loyd scored six late points and finished with 11 as the Aces completed a 26-point win.
Las Vegas finished with 14 3-pointers, 14 fast-break points and seven blocks. Toronto won the rebounding battle 40-31, but the Aces controlled nearly everything else.
Up Next
The Aces wrap up their two-game road trip and head into the All-Star break Wednesday when they visit the Washington Mystics. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. Pacific at CareFirst Arena. Las Vegas won the first stop after the break and now looks to carry that momentum into its final game before the league pauses for All-Star festivities.
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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.
