Jackie Young scored 24 points, five teammates scored in double figures and the Las Vegas Aces had a season-high point total in a 106-80 victory against the Dallas Wings on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas.
Jewell Loyd, coming off the bench for the first time this season, scored 20 points and Kierstan Bell, making her first start of the season in Loyd’s spot, had her first double-figure game of the season with 19 points. A’ja Wilson had 14 points and 10 rebounds, NaLyssa Smith scored 11 and Chelsea Gray added 10 for the Aces (13-13).
Gray and Young each doled out eight assists and Wilson had seven.
Arike Ogunbowale scored 18 points, Haley Jones had 15, DiJonai Carrington scored 14 and Teaira McCown had 12 points and 13 rebounds to lead Dallas (7-19), which lost for the sixth time in seven games.
Rookie Paige Bueckers, the Wings’ leading scorer this season, did not play because head coach Chris Koclanes said he was resting her in the midst of a stretch of four games in seven days, which includes the conclusion of a back-to-back when New York visits Monday night.
The Aces scored the first four points of the third quarter to open a 60-44 lead. JJ Quinerly made a midrange jumper to provide the Wings’ first points after nearly four minutes, and she added two free throws and an assist on Carrington’s jumper to get Dallas within 10.
Gray made a 3-pointer and Loyd added back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute to help Las Vegas expand the lead to 73-58 at the end of the third quarter.
The Aces poured on 33 more points in the fourth.
Wilson made consecutive field goals and Gray followed with three free throws to help Las Vegas open a 12-4 lead. Dallas took a one-point lead before Young made back-to-back 3-pointers, and the score was tied at 27 at the end of the first quarter.
The score was tied three more times early in the second, and Bell made a 3-pointer to break the final tie and start an 11-2 run that gave the Aces a 47-38 lead.
Las Vegas took its biggest lead of 14 points on a three-point play by Wilson before consecutive field goals by Luisa Geiselsoder and Ogunbowale helped trim the margin to 56-44 at halftime.
–Field Level Media
