The Las Vegas Aces took on the Chicago Sky in what would be the first out of three matchups this season. Both teams are coming off impressive wins and look to continue their winning streak.
Chelsea Gray was inserted back into the starting lineup after coming off the bench for the first two games of her return. It was announced before pregame that Elizabeth Williams will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on a torn meniscus. Kamilla Cardoso will remain the starting center for the rest of the season.
Game Recap
This game was all about pace as both teams tend to play at a fast pace. Chicago got off to a great start as Marina Mabrey scored 13 points in the first quarter on 100% shooting. The Sky went on a 12-3 run to lead by six. They matched the Aces' intensity on both ends of the floor.
On the other side, A'ja Wilson got it going as she scored 15 points in the first quarter on 60% shooting. She was matched up with Angel Reese, and it was a battle that could not be missed. Even though Reese picked up two fouls, she held her own against Wilson.
Las Vegas got their offense going in the second quarter thanks to Jackie Young scoring eight points to retake the lead. They went on a 20-4 run to push their lead to push their lead to 10. The Sky managed to cut into the deficit, but the Aces were rolling. Wilson led all scorers in the first half with 23, which was also half of the Aces' total points (46).
Chicago began the third quarter on a 7-0 run to tie the game and eventually retook the lead for the first time since the beginning of the second quarter. After going scoreless in the first half, Kamilla Cardoso scored five points in the quarter.
It was a back-and-forth game until the Aces went on a 19-6 run. Jackie Young continued to get it going on the offensive end, scoring 12 points in the third quarter. It was also a block party for the Aces, recording 11 total blocks.
The fourth quarter was the Kelsey Plum show as she went on a personal 7-0 run to push the Aces' lead to 16. She scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, but Chicago would not go away. Las Vegas led by as many as 18 before Chicago cut the lead to 10 thanks to an 11-3 run. Despite the Sky's push, the Aces were able to pull away with the win 95-83.
Marina Mabrey led the Sky with 21 points, followed by Chennedy Carter with 20 points. Lindsay Allen finished with 10 points and led the team with five assists.
Angel Reese finished with her ninth consecutive double-double, consisting of 18 points and 11 rebounds. She is the youngest player in WNBA history to achieve this feat and the first to do so since Candace Parker in 2015.
A'ja Wilson led the Aces with 31 points. Jackie Young finished with 22 points, followed by Kelsey Plum with 21 points. Chelsea Gray finished with eight points, six rebounds, and five assists (tied with Plum to lead the team). Kiah Stokes had six of the team's 11 blocks.
Full Circle Moment
Photo Courtesy: @WNBA/X
Not only was the A'ja Wilson versus Angel Reese matchup a major storyline, but this game showcased a storyline between the head coaches. Former teammates Becky Hammon and Teresa Weatherspoon went head-to-head for the first time in their WNBA coaching careers.
Hammon and Weatherspoon played together on the New York Liberty from 1999-2003. They decided to do their pregame press conference together, sharing a hug and getting emotional. When asked about the impact Weatherspoon had on her, Hammon said "I can remember when I got to New York thinking, 'Man, I hope I'm that comfortable in my skin when I am older.'"
When asked about their playing days, Weatherspoon said "Becky was our baby. She was our little baby sister. She was tough as nails, and she always tells this story. It's making me laugh because we all played hard. It would make the game easier for us because we all went hard. We wanted to make everybody better. But we saw something great in Becky. So we made every practice really rough."
Seeing the two coaches embrace each other before and after the game showed that there everyone can compete and still love one another as Teresa Weatherspoon emphasized.
Photo Courtesy: @TheAthletic and @WNBA/X
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