LAS VEGAS (July 5, 2018)—Neither team led by more than seven points Thursday evening, but the Las Vegas Aces used a late 6-0 run to come away with an 84-80 victory, and leapfrog the Chicago Sky into ninth place in the league standings. The Aces now trail the Atlanta Dream by 2.5 games, and the Dallas Wings by 3.0 games in the race for a WNBA postseason berth.
KEY RUNS
The Sky cut the Aces’ lead to one, 78-77, with 3:52 to go in the game, but Las Vegas scored the next six to pick up the four-point win. Kayla McBride’s driving layup with 2:14 on the clock got the run started, while A’ja Wilson and Tamera Young each hit a single free throw, and Dearica Hamby knocked down a pair of freebies.
KEY STATS
Chicago committed 18 turnovers on the day which the Aces’ turned into 19 points. On the flip side, Las Vegas committed 10 turnovers which the Sky turned into 13 points.
A’ja Wilson and Kayla McBride combined to go 21 for 44 from the field for 52 points.
Chicago’s bench outscored the Aces’ bench 33-13.
Las Vegas outrebounded Chicago, 40-35 overall, and 12-8 on the offensive glass,
GAME NOTES
A’ja Wilson (24 points) scored in double figures for the 19th straight time to start her WNBA career, and scored 20 or more points for the 12th time.
Kayla McBride (28 points) scored in double figures for the 16th time this season, and the 15th straight. It is her sixth game of 20 or more points.
Moriah Jefferson scored her first points and made her first basket of the season.
Carolyn Swords grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds. Her previous high of 11 came against San Antonio on July 10, 2016.
A’ja Wilson blocked a career-high 7 shots.