LAS VEGAS (August 18, 2024)—A’ja Wilson tallied 34 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals and a pair of blocked shots in an 87-71 Las Vegas Aces (17-9) victory over the visiting Los Angeles Sparks (6-21) Sunday at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Also scoring in double figures for Las Vegas were Kelsey Plum with 18 points, Tiffany Hayes who tossed in 11 off the bench and Jackie Young who added 10 points.
Rickea Jackson scored 15 points to lead LA.
Box Score | Highlights | Photo Gallery
First Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 21, Los Angeles 21)
Neither team held more than a 4-point lead in a quarter that had 7 lead changes and 5 tied scores. The Aces shot 57.1% from the field and held the Sparks to 35.7%. LA hit 8 of 10 from the charity stripe, whereas Vegas went 3 of 5. Las Vegas outscored LA 12-4 points in the paint. Wilson topped out with 9 points and 4 different visiting players had 3 points apiece.
Second Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 44, Los Angeles 37)
Wilson hit a jumper at 4:52 to break a 31-31 tie and the Aces never again trailed. The Aces expanded their lead to 7, 38-31, at 3:20 and took a 7-point lead into halftime. The Aces continued to shoot well, hitting 43.8% of their attempts from the floor, while the Sparks made 38.9% of theirs. The Aces went 7 of 7 from the line and did not send the Sparks to the line once. Hayes scored a high of 7 for Las Vegas and Kia Nurse had 8 for LA.
Third Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 64, Los Angeles 53)
The Aces went up 12, 51-39 at 7:20, but a 6-0 Sparks spurt brought the gap back to single digits, 51-45, with 6:19 to play in the 3rd. The Sparks closed to 3 twice, as late as 3:13 on the clock. That was as close as they would come, however, as Las Vegas closed the quarter on a 10-2 run. The Aces netted an even 50% from the field and held the Sparks to 35.7% and 0 for 6 from 3-point range. Wilson scored 11 points and Dearica Hamby had 6 for the Sparks.
Fourth Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 87, Los Angeles 71)
The Aces remained in control of the final period, never allowing their lead slip below 8 points. Wilson went 6 of 6 from the line and scored 10 points, Rae Burrell tallied 6 for Los Angeles.
KEY STATS
It has been 1,619 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. A second officer went to trial on October 30, 2023, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. Charges were refiled, and the new trial is scheduled for October 14, 2024.
The ACLU is currently tracking 527 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the United States, up from 515 at the start of the 2024 WNBA season.
In order to register online to vote in Nevada, eligible voters must do so 5 days before Election Day. The next presidential election is on November 5, 2024. Registration by mail must be postmarked 28 days before Election Day. In person registration is available up to and including on Election Day. For additional information, please visit the Nevada Secretary of State website. For information on how to register and where to vote in your state, please visit usa.gov.
The Aces made 49.2% of their shots from the field (30-61) and the Sparks connected on 40.3% (25-62) of theirs. The difference was even more pronounced from beyond the arc where the Aces knocked down 44.4% (8-18) and the Sparks made just 26.1% (6-23).
Las Vegas shot 19 of 23 from the charity stripe; while Los Angeles went 15 of 21.
The Sparks outscored the Aces 17-5 on the fast break.
The Aces flipped 21 Sparks turnovers into 19 points, while giving up 14 points on their own 18 miscues.
GAME NOTES
Young, who is 26 years, 11 months and 3 days old today, now has 138 regular season wins in her career, which is a league record for victories before turning 27. The previous mark of 137 was held by Maya Moore.
Wilson has scored at least 24 points in each of the past 8 games, tying the WNBA record she already shared with Diana Taurasi.
Wilson blocked 2 shots giving her 417 for her career, which are the 12th most in the WNBA history. Taj McWilliams-Franklin is 11th on the list with 443.
Wilson extended her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring efforts to 39 games—the longest active streak in the league, and tied for the 23rd longest in WNBA history.
Wilson’s 13 rebounds give her 1,947 for her career, which are the 30th most in WNBA history. Next up on the list is Tammy Sutton-Brown (29th, 2,010).
Wilson recorded her 17th double-double of the season (34 points, 13 rebounds) and the 93rd of her career—the 7th most in WNBA history. Tamika Catchings is next on the list with 96.
Wilson recorded her 17th 20/10 game of the season and the 69th of her career, which is the 5th-most in WNBA history. Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker are tied for 3rd with 71 each. It was also Wilson’s 8th straight 20/10 game, which extends her own WNBA record.
Gray handed out 4 assists and now has 1,566 for her career—the 9th most in WNBA history. Cappie Pondexter is 8th on the list with 1,578.
Tiffany Hayes scored 11 points and ranks 36th on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list with 4,473 points. Kristi Toliver is No. 35 with 4,474. Wilson ranks 37th with 4,473 points.
NEXT UP
The Aces remain at home for a Wednesday, Aug. 21, match-up against the Minnesota Lynx (19-8) at 6:30 pm PT. The game is being broadcast nationally on ESPN.