The Las Vegas Aces evened their WNBA Semifinal series with the Seattle Storm at one game a piece by employing a transition defense that was aggressive, physical, and disruptive. The hard-nosed body-to-body tactic earned the Aces a 78-73 win.
After a surprise but not wholly unexpected win by the Storm in game one there was no doubt adjustments would be made by Aces head coach Becky Hammon and her counterpart Noelle Quinn.
STARS SHINE
After scoring just nine points in game one it was a foregone conclusion that A’Ja Wilson would be focused and determined to help her team win with a strong scoring effort. Wilson rebounded from her game-one slump in the only way a superstar knows how. A’ja scored a career playoff-high 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Storm forward Breanna Stewart Wilson’s sole competition for League MVP scored 32 points to lead the Storm. With the two MVP front runners battling out in the bright lights of Las Vegas more precisely the Michelob Ultra Arena Vegas guard Chelsea Gray nearly stole the show.
TENACIOUS DEFENSE
While she scored 19 points pulled down seven rebounds and dished out seven assists it was Gray’s contribution on the defensive end that tipped the scales in the Ace’s favor.
Hammon went to a small ball lineup that trapped, double-teamed and contested each of the perimeter shots. Gray, Kelsey Plum, Wilson, Jackie Young, and Riquana Williams clogged the passing lanes and pushed the Storm’s offensive players away from the basket and forcing them to take difficult and awkward shots. It was Gray’s play at the defensive post that had stiffed the Storm’s offense Outside of Stewart Tina Charles was the only other Storm player to score in double figures. Charles finished the game with 17 points.
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EALY START
Despite having an offensive that was out of sync the two teams were tied at 36 when the halftime whistle blew.
Seattle built a four-point lead early in the third quarter but the Aces used an 8-0 run over a two-minute span to take a 46-42 lead at the 5:26 mark. Still up four one minute later, the Storm got back-to-back three-pointers from Stewart and Talbot to go back up 50-48 with 4:03 to go in the period. But Vegas closed out the period on a 12-2 run to take a 60-52 lead to the fourth.
The Storm started strong in the fourth quarter. After a pair of Vegas free throws to open the quarter put the home side up 10, Seattle answered back with a 12-4 run of its own pulling to within two at 66-64 on a Bird jumper with 4:34 to go.
The teams went back and forth with the Aces up six with 1:02 to play when Jewell Loyd made a pair of free throws followed by a Vegas turnover and Sue Bird jumper to make it 75-73 with :19.9 seconds left. But the Aces hit a pair of free throws and Seattle missed a three-point attempt on the other end as Vegas escaped with the win.
