PHOENIX (June 21, 2023)—Led by a 23-point performance from Jackie Young, the Las Vegas Aces (10-1) shot 55.4% from the field and dished out 29 dimes on 36 field goals as they topped the Phoenix Mercury (2-8) 99-79 on Wednesday afternoon in Phoenix. Also scoring in double figures were Kelsey Plum with 23, A’ja Wilson tallied 20 points and 12 boards and Chelsea Gray had 11 points and 8 assists.
Playing without injured legends Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, Sug Sutton led the Mercury with 21 points.
Box Score / Photos / Highlights
KEY RUNS
First Quarter (Las Vegas 32, Phoenix 19)
The Mercury kept pace with the Aces for about half the quarter, but a Young 3-pointer at 4:32 broke a 12-all score to give the Aces the lead for good. The Aces continued to pull away and built a 13-point lead after 10 minutes of play. Young tied her season-high 3-point output in a single quarter with 3, for a quarter-best 14 points. The Aces had 9 assists on 11 field goals and also netted 6 3-pointers in the period.
Second Quarter (Las Vegas 57, Phoenix 40)
The Mercury closed to 8 points, 44-36, on a Megan Gustafson “and-1” at 5:07, but that was as close as the hosts would come. The Aces closed the period on a 13-4 run for a 17-point halftime lead. Plum and Wilson scored 7 apiece in the quarter, and Wilson was on the verge of the 61st double-double of her career with 12 points and 8 boards in the half.
Third Quarter (Las Vegas 87, Phoenix 60)
The Aces outscored the Mercury 30-20 in the quarter to expand their lead to 27. Plum shot 4-of-5 and scored 9 points in the period.
Fourth Quarter (Las Vegas 99, Phoenix 79)
The Aces went up by as many as 29 points twice in the 4th quarter (89-60 and 91-62) before cruising home to victory. Cayla George scored an Aces quarter-high 6 points.
KEY STATS
It has been 1,195 days since Breonna Taylor was murdered. In 2022, three officers were federally charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and civil rights violations. One of the officers later pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy, marking the first conviction in the case.
The ACLU is currently tracking 491 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the United States.
The Aces shot 55.385% (36-65 FGs) from the field—the 5th-best single-game output in the league this season—while the Mercury made 42.9 percent of theirs.
Las Vegas went 11 for 23 from 3-point range, while Phoenix made 5 of 20.
The Aces scored 17 points off 13 Phoenix turnovers and gave up just 8 points from their 10 miscues.
GAME NOTES
Young nailed 5-of-7 3-pointers, marking a career-high for 3-point field goals made (She previously made 4 on 4 occasions, last versus Seattle on June 15, 2023.)
The Aces are scoring at a clip of 92.5 ppg., their highest scoring average in franchise history. Only the 2010 (93.882 ppg.) and 2009 (92.824 ppg.) Phoenix Mercury have averaged more in a season.
Wilson notched the 61st double-double of her career and the 7th of the season.
Las Vegas upped its season scoring differential to +16.2 which is the largest differential in WNBA history through 12 games.
The Aces have scored 90+ points in 10 of 12 contests in 2023.
Las Vegas had three players score 20 or more points for the first time this season.
Riquna Williams did not dress for the Aces (lower back).
NEXT OPPONENT
The Aces are back home for their next four games, beginning with a June 24 clash in back-to-back games against the Indiana Fever at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Tip-off is at 6 pm PT and the game is being broadcast on FOX 5, Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network and NBA TV; and airing on the radio at ESPN Las Vegas 100.9 FM and 1100 AM. Las Vegas and Indiana play again on June 26 at 7 pm PT.
Las Vegas erased a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit en route to an 84-80 road win over Indiana on June 4. Wilson posted a 27-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Young scored 19, and Gray added 17. Trailing by 10 with 7:48 to play, the Aces scored 8 unanswered points to cut it to 2, 71-69. Four minutes later, a 6-0 Aces spurt gave them the lead, they connected on four consecutive free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.