A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young set the tone early, and the Las Vegas Aces never let Toronto get comfortable.
Wilson scored 27 points, Young added 23 and Las Vegas rolled to a 93-73 win Friday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The Aces improved to 27-13 and entered the FIBA break on a three-game winning streak.
Las Vegas controlled the game with sharp ball security, balanced scoring and steady defensive pressure. The Aces committed only seven turnovers, forced 17 and led by as many as 26.
Young lights the fuse
Young set the tone early, hitting three 3-pointers and scoring 12 points as Las Vegas built a 27-17 lead. Stephanie Talbot helped create one of the first clean looks by jumping a passing lane, then Young found Wilson underneath for the finish.
Young kept firing from there. Her third 3 gave Las Vegas its first lead at 11-8, while Jewell Loyd drilled a 3 on her first shot after checking in.
Mai Yamamoto added another from deep, then found Cheyenne Parker-Tyus for the 3 that closed the quarter. Las Vegas shot 50 percent overall and made 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.
The more important number was 10. Toronto committed 10 turnovers in the quarter, while Las Vegas had only one.
Wilson takes over
Parker-Tyus opened the second by giving Las Vegas extra possessions. She grabbed an offensive rebound off a Chelsea Gray miss, drew a foul and made both free throws, then followed another miss with a putback.
Dana Evans entered to start the quarter and later scored her first basket since returning from a left leg injury. Young also picked up where she left off, knocking down a 3 on her first touch of the second.
Wilson then took over. She scored on her first touch after checking back in and kept finding space through the middle of Toronto’s defense.
Wilson finished the half with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting and made all six of her free throws. She also blocked two shots, including one late in the quarter before coming back the other way and earning another trip to the line.
Toronto stayed within range by shooting 7 of 12 from 3 in the half. Still, Las Vegas carried a 56-39 lead into the break after committing only one first-half turnover.
Lead holds firm
Toronto opened the third with a push, but Las Vegas never let the game tighten enough to become uncomfortable. Gray steadied the Aces with a hesitation dribble that froze her defender before she finished at the rim and converted the and-one.
Wilson followed with another strong finish in the paint as Las Vegas restored its cushion. Young kept adding points at the line and reached 23 points and eight assists by the end of the quarter without committing a turnover.
Loyd supplied the final punch, burying a 3 with 1.8 seconds remaining to send Las Vegas into the fourth ahead 74-55.
Toronto won little ground despite shooting 42 percent from deep through three quarters. Las Vegas had only four turnovers to Toronto’s 13 and continued getting enough offense inside to maintain control.
Bench finishes it
Brianna Turner opened the fourth with back-to-back baskets, including a putback off her own offensive rebound. Evans followed with a driving floater, then Gray’s pull-up forced a Toronto timeout with Las Vegas ahead 82-60.
Wilson returned and finished a sharp pass from Gray before Talbot knocked down a 3 on the next trip. Wilson later grabbed her own miss, scored through contact and completed the three-point play to make it 90-64.
Las Vegas then went to an all-bench lineup for the closing minutes. Kierstan Bell added a late 3, while Justine Pissott chipped in a block.
Wilson finished 10 of 17 from the field with eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Young added eight assists without a turnover, while Gray had 11 points, four assists, four steals and a block.
Parker-Tyus finished with nine points and seven rebounds in 12 minutes. Turner had four points and five rebounds, while Evans added four points and three assists in her return to the rotation.
Up next
Las Vegas enters the FIBA World Cup break before returning Thursday, Sept. 17, at Seattle. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 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.
