A’ja Wilson scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, Jackie Young added 16 points and nine assists and the visiting Las Vegas Aces opened their Commissioner’s Cup schedule with a 79-69 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.
Chelsea Gray scored 12 points while handing out 11 assists for the Aces (6-3), who have won consecutive games following a two-game losing streak that started with a home loss to the Sparks.
The Aces are one of three teams to have reached the Commissioner’s Cup final twice in the first five seasons of the tournament, winning it all in 2022. This season’s final is scheduled for June 30.
Rae Burrell scored a career-high 22 points and Nneka Ogwumike added 12 points with 12 rebounds as the Sparks (4-5) dropped to 1-2 without guard Kelsey Plum, who sprained her right ankle in practice last week. Plum, who leads Los Angeles with an average of 26.8 points per game, played for Las Vegas from 2018-24.
The Aces shot 44.9% from the floor, while the Sparks shot a season-low 30.8%.
The Aces took a 14-10 lead after one quarter by holding the Sparks to 23.1% shooting from the floor. Las Vegas grabbed a 31-16 lead with 6:05 remaining in the first half after a 3-pointer from Young, before the Sparks pulled within 35-30 with 1:35 left before halftime.
The Aces led 37-30 at the break by holding the Sparks to 29.0% from the floor, while getting 13 points and eight rebounds from Wilson.
Los Angeles was within 43-38 with 7:25 remaining in the third quarter before Las Vegas went on a 14-4 run to take a 57-42 lead with 2:38 left in the period. The Aces entered the fourth quarter with a 64-51 advantage.
Las Vegas led 71-56 with 5:16 remaining before Los Angeles went on an 8-0 run to pull within 71-64 with 2:48 remaining after a three-point play from Burrell. The Aces halted the run on a three-point play from Wilson with 1:40 remaining.
Burrell had to be helped off the floor after the final buzzer with an apparent right ankle injury.
–Field Level Media
