May 28, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces forward Aja Wilson (22) competes during the first quarter against the Minnesota Lynx at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports Does the WNBA have a new favorite on the rise in the West?
The Las Vegas Aces may be the two-time defending champions, but the Minnesota Lynx have gotten the better of them in each of their past two meetings. Now the Aces have been dealt double-digit losses in two of their past three games while the Lynx trail only the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun in the overall league standings.
After Minnesota (20-8) put on an offensive clinic to beat the Aces (17-10) on Wednesday, they will meet for the final time of the regular season on Friday in Minneapolis.
The Lynx prevailed 98-87 earlier this week in Las Vegas thanks to their latest offensive tour de force. They set season highs in field-goal percentage (59.4), 3-point percentage (57.9) and total field goals made (38). That came one game after a 99-point showing in a win over the Washington Mystics.
“We know what we can do,” Lynx guard Courtney Williams said. “We felt the energy during camp. Everyone else is waking up to it.”
The game was never a blowout, but the Lynx broke a 33-33 tie in the second quarter with a 10-0 run in which five different players scored, and the Aces couldn’t get closer than four the rest of the way.
Napheesa Collier had 23 points and seven rebounds, while Williams tallied 22 points, 10 assists and seven boards. All five starters scored in double figures, and coming off the bench in her team debut, Myisha Hines-Allen contributed eight points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. The Lynx acquired the forward from the Mystics at the trade deadline.
The Aces received 26 points from Jackie Young and 20 from Kelsey Plum, but the postgame focus was on their defense. Las Vegas had already given up a season-high 100 points to Minnesota in June, and the Aces rank just seventh in scoring defense (83.0 ppg) and 11th in 3-point percentage allowed (36.2) this year.
“I don’t really care where we are. If we’re in a hole or on the top of a mountain, I don’t care,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “You need to play some defense.”
Las Vegas’ league MVP frontrunner A’ja Wilson was held to 15 points and nine rebounds, ending her eight-game streak of 20-point, 10-rebound performances.
The road team has won all three meetings of the season series, which should give the Aces some hope. They earned an 80-66 result in Minneapolis in May.
–Field Level Media
