WNBA recap: A’ja Wilson scores 30 points as Las Vegas Aces hand Chicago Sky seventh straight loss

CNN
—

A’ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray both recorded double-doubles as the Las Vegas Aces condemned the Chicago Sky to a 90-71 loss on Tuesday, their seventh consecutive WNBA defeat.

Wilson’s hot streak continued, scoring 30 points – her third 30-plus game in the last four – along with 14 rebounds and two steals at T-Mobile Arena. Gray finished the night with 13 points, 10 assists and three steals for the two-time defending champions.

Jackie Young and Tiffany Hayes also scored in double figures to help the Aces to their third straight win and improve their season record to 21-12.

This result, along with the Phoenix Mercury’s 74-66 victory over the Atlanta Dream, ensured that the Mercury and Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever qualified for the WNBA playoffs.

“We love being together, but it’s not as much fun when you’re not winning basketball games and enjoying it on and off the court,” Gray told reporters. “We’re starting to feel like we have that intensity on the court, so we can enjoy those moments.”

More than 18,000 fans attended Tuesday’s game, which was moved from the Aces’ usual home at Mandalay Bay to T-Mobile Arena. The attendance was the second-highest for a home game in franchise history, according to AP.

With a 13-point run at the beginning of the second quarter, the Aces built a comfortable lead that grew to 16 points by the end of the first half.

Desperate to end a winless streak to make the playoffs, the Sky were able to narrow the gap to 10 in the fourth, but Wilson ensured the Aces’ lead remained intact by scoring 15 of her 30 points in the final frame.

Michaela Onyenwere scored 15 points for Chicago, while Angel Reese had 12 points and 16 rebounds. The team’s winless streak stretches back to August 17, with a home game against the struggling Los Angeles Sparks (7-25) scheduled for Friday.

Phoenix took a 14th.^th With the win against the Dream, who share the same 11-22 record as the Sky, the team made its first postseason appearance in the last 16 seasons.

Kahleah Copper scored a team-leading 28 points, while Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner both hit crucial three-pointers late in the game to stave off a third-quarter comeback attempt by Atlanta and propel the Mercury into the postseason.

Seattle Storm 71-64 Connecticut Sun

Washington Mystics 90-86 Dallas Wings

Chicago Sky 71-90 Las Vegas Aces

Atlanta Dreams 66-74 Phoenix Mercury