LAS VEGAS (July 8, 2024)—The Las Vegas Aces (13-7) close out the pre-Olympic Break portion of their schedule with 4 games over a 7-day stretch beginning with a Wednesday, July 10, road game to take on the Seattle Storm (14-7). Tip is slated for 12 pm PT, and the game is being broadcast locally on the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network.
It is the first of 3 straight road games for the Aces, who have won 7 of their last 8 games since dropping to the .500 mark at 6-6. Their improvement has come on both sides of the ball as Las Vegas offense and defense during this stretch are much more in line with their 2023 numbers when they won the second of their back-to-back championships.
| OER | DER | |
| First 12 Games | 105.4 | 104.2 |
| Most Recent 8 Games | 112.4 | 97.6 |
| 2023 Season | 113.0 | 97.7 |
The Aces recent run coincides with the return of the Point Gawd Chelsea Gray to the lineup, as the 6-time All-Star missed the first 12 games of the season with a lower left leg injury. Las Vegas is shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from 3-point range since Gray’s return, while holding opponents to 41.3 percent overall and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc.
A’ja Wilson (25.5 ppg), Jackie Young (19.9 ppg) and Kelsey Plum (19.8 ppg) are scoring a combined 65.2 points per game over the last 8 games, while all 3 are connecting on 50 percent or better of their shots from the floor. In addition, during that span, Tiffany Hayes and 2023 Sixth Player of the Year Alysha Clark are combining to average 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists off the bench for Las Vegas.
Additionally, Wilson collected her 3rd Western Conference Player of the Week award of the season and 19th of her career after averaging league-highs of 25.2 ppg and 3.2 bpg, while shooting 53.1 percent from the field adding 3.0 apg and 1.7 spg in leading the Aces to a 5-1 mark from June 27 through July 7.
One year after posting an 11-29 record, the Storm revamped their lineup during the offseason, and now find themselves in 4th place with a 14-7 mark. The team’s most notable acquisitions were Nneka Ogwumike (17.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.78 spg in 2024) and Skyler Diggins-Smith (13.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.48 spg). The duo give Seattle 4 double-digit scorers on the year as Storm veterans Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor are averaging 19.9 and 13.4 points per game, respectively.
Seattle’s improvement has come on both sides off the ball as they have the fourth most efficient offense and third most efficient defense in the WNBA. Defensively, the Storm lead the league in steals and blocks per game at 9.8 and 5.8. Their blocks per game figure would be the 7th highest in WNBA history, and their steals per game would be the second highest figure in the last 10 years, should they maintain it.
If the Storm have an obvious weak spot it is out on the perimeter offensively where they are last in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.301). However they are the 4th-best offensive rebounding team in the league (.309 ORBPct), and the second-best at taking care of the basketball (.172 TO%).
The Aces are 45-44 all-time during the regular season against the Storm. The teams have split their two meetings so far in 2024, but Las Vegas has won 15 of the last 19 regular season games between the clubs.