Aces head into All-Star break after roller-coaster win over Wings
The Aces, in their last game before the WNBA All-Star break, turned in a performance that illustrated the realities that have separated the squad from its potential.
Guard Jackie Young went down with an injury in the fourth quarter, but the Aces (11-11) held on to beat the Dallas Wings 90-86 on Wednesday at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
The Aces entered the fourth quarter with a 22-point lead but needed late heroics from star A’ja Wilson to hold onto that advantage.
The team played some of its best basketball in the third quarter and held the Wings to 11 points. The Aces then almost fell apart in the fourth, turning the ball over six times. They were outscored 34-18 by Dallas in the final frame.
Wilson finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds, while guard Jewell Loyd added 14 points. Rookie Aaliyah Nye scored 13 points off the bench.
It was a classic up-and-down showing for the Aces.
“We’ve got to learn to be better, and again, put that elusive 40 minutes together,” coach Becky Hammon said. “But we’re moving in the right direction. … We were doing a lot of really good things. It hasn’t always correlated to wins, which is ultimately what we’re trying to do, but there’s a lot of little progress.”
Luisa Geiselsoder had 14 points for the Wings (6-17), who welcomed forward NaLyssa Smith back with open arms. Smith faced her old team for the first time since being traded to the Aces last month.
She received an ovation from Dallas fans when she was announced as a starter before the game. Smith, who finished with seven points and eight rebounds, received praise from Hammon and Wilson afterward for how she’s adapted to her new team.
The Wilson mentality
Wilson’s 37 points were tied for the most scored in a WNBA game this season. She accomplished the feat in her second game back from a right wrist sprain she suffered in a loss to the New York Liberty on July 8.
Wilson has the most double-doubles with 30-plus points in WNBA history with 20.
Wilson, 28, still worked on free throws after the win after going just 7-of-12 from the line. She was asked if it bothers her that her performances this season could be undervalued due to her team’s record, but she brushed off the idea.
“I don’t really care what people got to say. If they’re talking about me, if they’re not, I could care less,” Wilson said. “My biggest thing is making sure that the Aces is doing what we need to do. So that every time people come see us play, they understand the standard that we play with, and that we’re going to bring it every single night.”
All-Star questions
Hammon still said that despite Wilson’s greatness, the Aces “go as the guards go” because there are simply more of them.
Young is the team’s leading scorer behind Wilson, averaging 17.5 points per game. Point guard Chelsea Gray and Loyd average 12.4 and 11 points per game, respectively.
Young was hurt with 8:21 remaining in the game and did not return. The team initially said she had a hip injury, but Hammon said postgame Young was being evaluated for a groin injury.
“We were running a set. I thought she got fouled. She went to the ground. Ended up being a turnover. She tried to get up quick, and I think she just slipped on her own sweat,” Hammon said.
Young and Wilson are the Aces’ two All-Stars this year and were selected to play for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s team.
The All-Star Game is scheduled for Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, but the Aces’ participation isn’t guaranteed.
“I’ll get with my medical team this go around, because I did fall on (my wrist) today, so we’ll see what we got,” Wilson said, adding that Indiana is home for Young so she hopes that they can both go and represent the Aces.
Hammon said she plans to give the team a rest during the All-Star break and prepare the group to close the season on a strong note.
She praised Nye, guard Dana Evans and center Megan Gustafson for their contributions from the bench, saying that’s what she wants to see going forward.
“It takes everybody. I actually feel like our bench is deeper this year than we have been in years past,” Hammon said.
“So we had a good night, but we can’t be satisfied. We want to kind of kick it into another gear here on the second half of the season.”
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.