The Las Vegas Aces met the Dallas Wings at the College Park Center in Arlington on Tuesday. The Wings pulled off the 93-90 upset win and secured back-to-back victories for only the second time this season.
The Wings weathered a 42-point explosion from MVP contender A’ja Wilson to halt their seven-game losing streak to the Aces.
Las Vegas Aces vs Dallas Wings Player Stats and Box Scores
Las Vegas Aces Player Stats and Box Scores
Dallas Wings Player Stats and Box Scores
Recap of Las Vegas Aces vs Dallas Wings game on Tuesday
Satou Sabally and Wilson both started strong for their respective teams, each scoring six points in the opening quarter.
The Wings faced shooting difficulties, especially from beyond the arc. Arike Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard missed multiple long-range attempts, while Aces guard Jackie Young found her groove midway through the quarter, scoring nine points, including a 3-pointer, to help the Aces widen their lead.
The Aces capitalized on turnovers by the Wings and excelled in transition, ending the first quarter with a 25-18 lead.
In the second quarter, Wilson continued to display her MVP-level performance, leading the Aces with 11 points and bringing her game total to 17.
As the quarter neared its end, Sabally nailed a 3-pointer off an assist from Ogunbowale, cutting the Aces' lead to 42-37 by halftime.
Sabally finished the half with 11 points on efficient shooting (5-for-8) and also contributed 2 rebounds and 2 assists, while Howard added 10 points, three rebounds and two blocks.
Wilson dominated the first half with 17 points, shooting 72.7% from the field (8-for-11), while Jackie Young chipped in with 13 points.
The Aces surged ahead in the third quarter, extending their lead to 69-61, thanks to Wilson’s 15-point explosion.
However, the Wings used a 12-6 run to open the fourth quarter and trim the Aces' lead to two, 75-73, with six minutes remaining.
Howard drilled a jumper with 1:10 remaining to put the Dallas Wings ahead 88-87, initiating a free-throw battle. Jackie Young made two free throws to regain the lead for the Aces, but Howard split her free throws to tie the game at 90.
Wilson then went 1-for-2 from the line, putting the Aces up by one, but Ogunbowale and Sabally each made a pair of free throws to secure a 93-90 lead for the Wings.
Wilson had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer at the buzzer, but her shot missed, handing the Wings a perfect win.
Wilson led all scorers with 42 points and grabbed six rebounds on 16-for-22 shooting. Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray contributed 17 and 15 points, respectively, for the Aces.
For the Wings, Sabally led with 28 points, while Howard and Ogunbowale added 24 and 20 points, respectively. Teaira McCowan also played a huge role with eight points and 17 rebounds.