LOS ANGELES (June 9, 2024)—The Las Vegas Aces (5-4) scored the first 14 points of the game Sunday evening, but they couldn’t hold on to the lead as the Los Angeles Sparks (4-7) edged the Aces 96-92. The result improves the Sparks’ record in Commissioner’s Cup play to 2-2, while dropping the Aces to 1-2. A’ja Wilson led all scorers with 31 points and Kelsey Plum added 24 for the Aces, while Dearica Hamby paced the Sparks with 18.
Box Score | Highlights | Photo Gallery
First Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 26, Los Angeles 21)
The Aces scored the first 14 points of the game and eventually extended their lead to 15 points, 22-7. Plum scored 6 points in the opening 14-point run, while Wilson added 5. The Sparks scored 21 of the final 33 points of the quarter to close to within 5. Plum led all scorers with 10, while Dearica Hamby and Aari McDonald paced the Sparks with 7 each. Las Vegas made 4 of 10 of its shots from distance while Los Angeles went 2 for 7.
Second Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 44, Los Angeles 43)
The Sparks cut the Aces advantage to one with 7:33 to go in the 1st half, and took their first lead of the game with 6:21 on the clock. Rickea Jackson led all scorers with 9 in the stanza, while Wilson led Las Vegas with 8. The Sparks outscored the Aces in second chance points, 9-0, and in the paint, 12-6.
Third Quarter Highlights (Los Angeles 74, Las Vegas 65)
Los Angeles tied the score on 2 occasions early in the period, and went up 6, 52-46, with 7:02 on the clock. LA extended its lead to as many as 10, ending the period with a 9-point advantage. The Sparks shot 8 for 17 from the field, 3 for 4 from 3-point range, and 12 for 14 from the free throw line, while the Aces went 6 for 14 from the floor 1 for 2 from distance, and 8 for 8 from the charity stripe.
Fourth Quarter Highlights (Los Angeles 96, Las Vegas 92)
Las Vegas used an early 11-0 run to turn a 78-71 deficit into an 82-78 lead with 4:24 remaining. The Sparks countered by scoring 8-straight to regain the lead, and never trailed the rest of the way. Jackson and Rae Burrell each scored 7 in the period to lead Los Angeles, while Wilson scored 9 to lead Las Vegas. The Aces didn’t commit any turnovers in the period, while turning 5 Sparks’ miscues into 8 points.
KEY STATS
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Las Vegas committed 6 turnovers which LA flipped into 7 points, while the Sparks were credited with 17 miscues which the Aces turned into 18 points.
The Sparks outscored the Aces 20-6 in second chance points.
Los Angeles outrebounded the Aces 36-23.
GAME NOTES
Wilson scored the 4,00th point of her career on a 3-pointer with 3:22 to go in the second quarter, becoming the 3rd fastest player to reach that mark. She is also the 4th youngest player to reach the 4,000-point plateau. She now has 4,016 points over 198 career games.
Wilson has scored at least 20 points in 14-straight regular season games which breaks the record of 13 set by Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi (July 22, 2006-May 19, 2007). It is her 3rd game of 30 or more points this season.
Wilson has scored 28 or more points in 5-straight games, tying Arike Ogunbowale’s WNBA record.
Wilson had 6 blocked shots, tying Erika DeSouza for 16th on the WNBA’s career list with 370. She needs 3 more to pass Tina Thompson in 15th place. Wilson has blocked at least 1 shot in 18-straight games, which is the longest active streak in the WNBA. Brittney Griner owns the all-time league record with blocks in 80 straight games, while Margo Dydek has the franchise mark of 36.
Kate Martin made her first WNBA start, scoring a career-high 13 points, while making 3 of 3 3-pointers on the night.
Tiffany Hayes scored a season-high 17 points. The last time she scored that many in a regular season game was August 12, 2023, when she scored 19 against Dallas. Hayes poured in 30 in the 2023 postseason at New York on September 26.
The Aces were without the services of Kierstan Bell (lower right leg injury), Chelsea Gray (lower left leg injury) and Jackie Young (illness).
NEXT UP
Las Vegas returns home Tuesday, June 11 for a 7 pm PT tip against the Minnesota Lynx. The fourth of the Aces five Commissioner’s Cup games is being broadcast locally on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network.