SEMIFINALS GAME 4 RECAP: Aces Guard Trio Pours In 59 Points Helping Send Semis Back To Las Vegas For Game 5

PHOENIX (October 6, 2021)—The Aces guard trio of Chelsea Gray (22 points), Kelsey Plum (20) and Riquna Williams (17) combined to score 59 points Wednesday evening, making 10 of 18 from three-point range in the process. That scoring outburst helped Las Vegas top Phoenix, 93-76, sending the WNBA Semifinals back to Las Vegas for a winner-take-all Game 5.

KEY RUNS

First Quarter (Phoenix 29, Las Vegas 24)

The Mercury opened the game on an 11-2 run, but the Aces scored 9 straight to tie the score. Shey Peddy came off the bench to lead all scorers with 11 points (3 for 3 FGs, 2 for 2 3Gs, 3 for 3 FTs). Kelsey Plum led the Aces off the bench with 7.

Second Quarter (Las Vegas 49, Phoenix 46)

The Aces opened the quarter on a 15-7 run. Chelsea Gray’s three ball with under 7 minutes to go in the quarter gave the Aecs their first lead of the game, 35-34. Gray, who went to the bench with two fouls 4:02 into the first stanza, scored 10 points in the second to lead all scorers. Las Vegas held Phoenix to 29.2 percent shooting from the field in the period.

Third Quarter (Las Vegas 78, Phoenix 57)

Las Vegas went on a 24-0 run during the quarter—the second longest such run in WNBA postseason history.  Riquna Williams scored 11 points in the period, matching the Mercury’s output as a team.

Fourth Quarter (Las Vegas 93, Phoenix 76)

The Aces lead vacillated between 16 and 21 throughout the entire quarter.

KEY STATS

It has been 572 days since Breonna Taylor was murdered.

Las Vegas out-rebounded Phoenix 37-35 (Merc led 58-29 in Game 3)

The Aces scored 20 points off of 19 Mercury turnovers, while Phoenix scored 5 points off of 10 Aces miscues.

The Aces went 11 for 22 from three-point range while the Mercury went 8 for 19.

The Aces made 48.1 percent of their field goal attempts, while the Mercury made 41.3 percent.

GAME NOTES

Kia Nurse was injured 39 seconds into the game and did not return.

The Aces 24-0 run in the third quarter was second-longest scoring run in WNBA postseason history. The only one longer was 26 straight points by Atlanta in a Round 1 game on August 27, 2010 against Washington.

The Aces’ 11 made three-pointers tied their most made threes in a game this season.

Teams that have trailed two-games-to-one in WNBA Playoff series are 6-9 in those series.

NEXT OPPONENT

The Aces return home to Michelob ULTRA Arena, Friday, where they will host Phoenix in Game 5 of the WNBA Semifinals. Tip is slated 6 pm PT.