Rickea Jackson scored a career-best 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Sparks to a 97-89 victory over the host Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday night.
Azura Stevens recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds and Dearica Hamby added 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Sparks (4-7). Former Aces star Kelsey Plum had 13 points and nine assists in her second game in Las Vegas since being traded to Los Angeles in the offseason.
Jackie Young matched her career best of 34 points and had eight rebounds and three steals for the Aces (4-4). Chelsea Gray made six 3-pointers while scoring 28 points.
Las Vegas lost three-time MVP A’ja Wilson to a head injury and she missed the final 11:17 of the contest. Wilson was hit in the nose early in the game and needed gauze to stop the bleeding.
Wilson scored 13 points but was just 2-of-12 shooting. She also had eight rebounds and four blocked shots before leaving late in the third quarter.
Las Vegas shot just 37.5 percent from the field and 9 of 35 (25.7 percent) from 3-point range while falling to 1-2 in Commissioner’s Cup Western Conference play.
Los Angeles, which is 2-2 in Commissioner’s Cup play, shot a sizzling 56.9 percent from the field and was 9 of 20 (45.0 percent) from behind the arc.
A 3-pointer by Gray pulled Las Vegas within 60-56 with 3:11 left in the third quarter. Los Angeles scored seven of the next 10 points with Jackson’s three-point play giving the Sparks a 67-59 lead with 1:12 remaining.
Los Angeles led 71-65 entering the final quarter but opened up a 14-point lead before the midway point of the stanza. Hamby converted back-to-back shots to start a 10-2 run and Jackson’s basket finished it to give the Sparks an 86-72 lead with 5:22 left.
Las Vegas made a charge and used a trey from Gray and a basket by Young to move within 93-87 with 1:44 left.
Plum put the game away with two free throws with 20.1 seconds left. Plum hit all nine of her free throw attempts.
Jackson had 14 points, Stevens scored 13 and Hamby added 12 as Los Angeles took a 50-41 halftime lead. Young had 14 and Gray had 12 at the half for the Aces.
The Sparks were hotter than lava over the first 14 minutes, making 15 of 18 field goal attempts (83.3 percent) and 7 of 8 from 3-point range while holding a 39-19 advantage.
Las Vegas responded with 11 straight points to get back within range.
–Field Level Media
