Minnesota gave A’ja Wilson double and triple teams for her birthday. The Lynx also gave Las Vegas a steady diet of 3-pointers.
Minnesota made a season-high 15 shots from beyond the arc and beat the Aces 98-87 Saturday at Target Center. The loss snapped Las Vegas’ two-game winning streak and dropped the Aces to 22-10.
Jackie Young led Las Vegas with 23 points. Wilson finished with 16 while reaching 6,500 career points, and fellow birthday celebrant NaLyssa Smith added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Minnesota answered with balance. All five Lynx starters scored at least 13 points, led by Olivia Miles with 26 and Napheesa Collier with 22.
The loss dropped Las Vegas behind Golden State into third in the standings.
McBride heats up
Las Vegas opened with balance, getting paint scores from NaLyssa Smith and Stephanie Talbot before Chelsea Gray hit a 3. Seven different Aces scored in the quarter, and Smith added six points, three rebounds and three assists.
Minnesota answered from deep. Kayla McBride made four 3-pointers and scored 12 points as the Lynx went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Las Vegas still shot 61 percent and scored 14 points in the paint.
Gray tied it 25-25 with a turnaround jumper in the closing seconds. Olivia Miles then banked in a 37-footer at the buzzer, and the shot was upheld after review for a 28-25 Minnesota lead.
Late three stings
Jewell Loyd gave Las Vegas an early lift with back-to-back 3-pointers, tying it 28-28 before putting the Aces ahead 31-30. Brianna Turner also supplied strong defensive minutes, including a block on Collier.
Minnesota regained control as Las Vegas struggled with turnovers. The Aces committed six in the quarter, while Young scored seven points to keep them close.
Young’s turnaround jumper cut the deficit to 46-45 with 39.9 seconds left. However, Miles answered with another late 3, sending Minnesota into halftime ahead 49-45.
Threes stretch it
Wilson hit a 3 to cut Minnesota’s lead to 53-52 early in the third. However, Collier answered from deep, and the Lynx kept finding shots beyond the arc.
Minnesota eventually pushed the margin to 66-55. Young responded by grabbing an offensive rebound, scoring through contact and completing the three-point play. Wilson and Turner followed with baskets, completing a 7-0 run that cut the lead to four.
The Lynx answered again. Collier buried back-to-back 3-pointers late, and Minnesota reached 14 made 3s through three quarters. Dana Evans hit one at the buzzer, but Las Vegas still trailed 73-65.
Stops never came
Smith opened the fourth with another paint basket, and Evans later hit a 3 to cut Minnesota’s lead to 75-70.
Miles immediately answered with an and-one. From there, the Lynx kept Las Vegas from putting together the stops needed for a serious comeback.
The Aces started making more shots late. Young hit two free throws and later drilled a 3 to cut the deficit to seven.
Still, Minnesota answered almost every push. Miles scored 10 points in the fourth, and the Lynx finished with 25 in the quarter to close out the 98-87 win.
Minnesota shot 49 percent overall and 15-for-29 from 3. The Aces finished at 43 percent and made 10 of 27 from deep.
Becky Hammon warned before the game that Collier’s return would make the league leaders even harder to handle.
“She makes them harder to guard offensively, and defensively she brings a lot of experience, length and smarts,” Hammon said.
Collier proved the point. She made five 3-pointers, scored 22 points and added three blocks.
The Lynx also kept collapsing on Wilson throughout the afternoon. She went 5-for-17 from the floor and committed five turnovers as Minnesota crowded her touches.
Still, Wilson reached another career milestone with her 6,500th point.
Smith gave Las Vegas one of its strongest interior performances, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Evans added 11 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers.
Minnesota did not need much scoring from its reserves. Its starters provided 93 of the Lynx’s 98 points.
Miles finished with 26 points and seven assists. Natasha Howard added 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Courtney Williams had 13 points and seven assists, while McBride finished with 15.
Up next
The turnaround is immediate.
Las Vegas heads to Brooklyn to face the New York Liberty on Sunday at Barclays Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. PT on ABC.
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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.
