Bradenton, FL (August 16, 2020)—The Las Vegas Aces have won seven straight games to move into sole possession of second place in the WNBA standings, and they put that streak on the line, Tuesday, with a 9 pm ET/6 pm PT tip against the Chicago Sky.

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The Sky quickly became one of the Aces primary rivals last season as the teams met in the second round of the WNBA Playoffs. Las Vegas moved onto the semifinals when a 35-footer out of the hands of Dearica Hamby swished through the net with less than seven seconds remaining, giving the Aces a 93-92 victory.

The teams met in the first game of the 2020 season, and Las Vegas led for nearly the entire game, but the Sky closed out the night on an 11-0 run to escape with an 88-86 win. Angel McCoughtry scored 25 points in her Las Vegas debut, while leading MVP candidate A’ja Wilson added 22.

Wilson enters the week ranked second in league in scoring, fifth in rebounding, and fifth in blocked shots. She was named Western Conference player of the week last Monday after averaging 25.7 points and 8.0 rebounds, and connecting on 60.0 percent of her shots from the field, and 82.1 percent from the free throw line. She also chipped in 1.7 blocks per game.

McCoughtry looks very much like her old self, as the soon-to-be 34-year-old is posting career-highs in field goal percentage (.566), three-point field goal percentage (.500) and free throw percentage (.867), despite missing virtually all of the 2019 season with a knee injury. The five-time All-Star ranks 11th in the league in scoring (15.4 ppg), sixth in field goal percentage, seventh in three-point field goal percentage, and 18th in free throw percentage.

The Aces are also getting a considerable boost from their reserves, recently christened “The Bench Mob.” Las Vegas’ reserves lead the league in bench scoring at 34.5 points per game, which would break the WNBA record for scoring average by a reserve unit.

Dearica Hamby (11.9 ppg) and Jackie Young (10.2 ppg), are both averaging double-digits in scoring despite coming off the bench for each of the team’s 10 games this season. Only seven players in league history have averaged double-figures in scoring without starting a game, and teammates have never accomplished the feat in the same year.

Kayla McBride gives the Aces five double-figure scorers as the three-time All-Star is averaging 10.2 points per game.

Las Vegas has the second most efficient offense in the W, averaging 105.9 points per 100 possessions. That would be the best OER ever for a Bill Laimbeer-coached team should the Aces maintain it. Las Vegas ranks first in the league in turnover percentage (16.8), first in free throw rate (.337), second in field goal percentage (.489) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.363).

Defensively, the Aces are the third most efficient team in the WNBA, allowing 95.5 points per 100 possessions. They are the second best defensive rebounding team (.751), while ranking first in opponent free throw rate (.197), first in opponent three-point field goal percentage (.287), and third in opponent field goal percentage (.346). That opponent free throw rate would be the lowest in league history.

Chicago won four of its first five games on the year, but since then, the team has alternated wins and losses. Most recently, the Sky defeated the Atlanta Dream, 92-67.

As a team, Chicago has the fourth most efficient offense (104.3), leading the WNBA in field goal percentage (.495), and effective field goal percentage (.551). They are turnover prone, however, ranking 11th in the W committing a miscue on 21.0 percent of their possessions.

Allie Quigley leads five Chicago players in double-figure scoring at 14.5 points per game. Each of the Sky’s top five scorers make at least 36.8 percent of their shots from three-point range. Courtney Vandersloot is leading the league in assists per game for the fifth time in her career, averaging 8.0 per game.

Defensively, the Sky are the fifth most efficient team in the league (100.0).

Las Vegas is 17-17 all-time against the Sky, with wins in five of the last seven meetings between the clubs.