A’ja Wilson took over after halftime, Jackie Young controlled the opening quarter and Las Vegas made enough late plays to hold off New York.
Wilson finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks. Young added 29 points and nine assists as the Aces beat the Liberty 104-99 Thursday at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
Las Vegas shot 52 percent, made 13 3-pointers and went 25-for-27 at the free throw line. The Aces also answered each New York push, including a late charge that cut the lead to two.
Young fire
Jackie Young scored 15 points in the first quarter and hit three of four 3-pointers. Las Vegas shot 60 percent and led 27-26 after a fast opening period.
A’ja Wilson added four points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks. However, the Aces committed three turnovers and allowed New York to close the quarter with six straight points.
The Liberty went 8-for-8 at the free throw line and made four 3-pointers. Las Vegas still escaped with the lead despite the sloppy finish.
Sharp close
The Aces traded baskets early, but Chelsea Gray’s 3-pointer gave Las Vegas a 37-34 edge. Stephanie Talbot and Jewell Loyd later added 3-pointers as the offense found cleaner looks.
Young scored seven points in the quarter and reached 22 by halftime. Wilson added six, while Las Vegas recorded six assists and committed only one turnover in the period.
The Aces closed on a 6-0 run after New York pulled within two. Wilson capped the push with a jumper, sending Las Vegas into halftime ahead 52-44.
Wilson surge
Wilson caught fire after halftime. She made her first three shots of the third quarter and scored 18 points in the period.
New York cut the lead to four, but Las Vegas answered after a successful challenge overturned a foul on Gray. NaLyssa Smith followed with a tough drive, while Gray later hit a 3-pointer for a 70-61 lead.
Wilson then added a jumper, a 3-pointer and a late driving layup. The Aces carried a 78-71 lead into the fourth despite losing the quarter 27-26.
Late answers
New York erased most of a 10-point deficit and pulled within 85-84. However, Dana Evans answered with a 3-pointer, while Gray added a jumper and another 3.
Wilson grabbed an offensive rebound that led to Young’s alley-oop feed to Brianna Turner. Later, Wilson powered through Jonquel Jones for a three-point play, pushing the lead to 98-93.
Gray fouled out with 20.8 seconds left, but Young closed the game at the line. She made six straight free throws and intercepted an inbound pass as Las Vegas secured the win in the team’s 60th straight sellout at the House.
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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.
