‘We’re doing it together’: Aces climb standings with 9th straight win
As time on the game clock expired Thursday at Michelob Ultra Arena, it was hard to spot a fan who hadn’t already risen to their feet.
The Aces had just beat the Phoenix Mercury 83-61, and the standing ovation from a WNBA record 45th-straight sellout crowd honored the home team for extending the league’s longest active winning streak to nine games.
Reigning MVP A’ja Wilson recorded 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Aces (23-14), while guard Dana Evans added 17 points off the bench.
Forward Alyssa Thomas led the Mercury (21-14) with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Aces are now third in the WNBA standings with just seven games remaining in the regular season. It’s been an incredible jump after the team hovered around eighth most of the first half of the year.
Evans, who was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Sky in the offseason, credited the Aces’ early struggles for their current success.
“Obviously, at the beginning we hit some rough patches. But that brought us closer together to lean on each other more. So I say everything happens for a reason,” Evans said. “That was some humbling pie for us, and then we knew we needed to change some things. And now I feel like we are headed in the right direction, and we’re doing it together.”
Mindset
Coach Becky Hammon didn’t discuss X’s and O’s much at Thursday’s pregame news conference.
The Aces previously defeated the Mercury 86-83 in Phoenix on Aug. 15. It was the third time in three meetings a game between the two sides was decided by six points or less. Hammon wanted her team to be prepared for another fight.
“My concern is just — I don’t want a comfortable locker room going against a locker room you know is upset. (They) probably feel like we stole a couple from them,” she said.
The Aces played accordingly. They threw the first punch and stayed aggressive the rest of the game. Phoenix was forced to call a timeout 4:43 in after a 3-pointer from forward Kierstan Bell helped the Aces begin the game on a 14-8 run.
Bell scored all six of her points in the first quarter as she continued to provide a spark since moving into the starting lineup. The Aces led 23-17 by the end of the opening frame. Wilson came alive in the second quarter and helped her team build a 43-29 halftime lead.
Point guard Chelsea Gray had another efficient game with 12 points, four assists and one turnover. The Aces only had six giveaways as a team, but they didn’t allow a single point off turnovers for the first time in franchise history.
Playoff picture
A door was opened for the Aces when the Chicago Sky beat the New York Liberty earlier Thursday. That allowed the team to jump past both the Mercury and Liberty in the standings.
The Aces next play the Washington Mystics on Saturday to start a three-game road trip. Hammon said her team can’t take a deep breath yet.
“We got another game in two days,” she said. “But my belief in this team has never wavered.”
The Aces could be further bolstered if veteran Cheyenne Parker-Tyus returns this postseason. Parker-Tyus was seen at Thursday’s shootaround after giving birth to her son July 1.
“She’s getting back around the group, getting some shots up,” Hammon said. “She’s just a really nice presence to have, whether she’s hooping with us or not. She’s a joy to have the locker room. Always smiling, always upbeat. … If it’s possible to come back, I think she’ll get it done, because she’s very, very determined, and she’s putting in a ton of work.”
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.
