Aces Crush Storm 102-77 to Take Game 1

Seattle offers little resistance to surging Las Vegas.

(Las Vegas, Nevada) - This one was about as one-sided as Super Bowl 48. The Aces jumped out to a 17-5 lead six minutes into the game and never looked back. Las Vegas led by 20 points at halftime and by 32 points in the 4th quarter before both teams emptied their benches. After watching this game, it’d be hard to believe the Storm beat the Aces twice during the regular season. This game was never competitive as Las Vegas steamrolled Seattle to a 102-77 victory.

Seattle had five players score in double figures, but Gabby Williams was the leading scorer with 16 points. Williams made 8-13 FG and was one of the only Storm players to look sharp. Nneka Ogwumike added 11 points and eight rebounds. Skylar Diggins finished with 12 points, but had just two assists. Erica Wheeler added 10 points off the bench, scoring most of those in the first half.

Both Nneka and Gabby talked after the game about how the team wasn’t ready out of the gate and didn’t match the Aces’ intensity.

Ezi Magbegor was a relative non-factor. She finished with just two points on two shots with three rebounds. Brittney Sykes struggled the most. She went scoreless on 0-3 FG and had five turnovers. She was also in foul trouble and was limited to just 16 minutes.

Rookie Dominique Malonga really struggled in the first half. She started the game 1-8 FG, but went 3-3 FG in the 2nd half, including two three-pointers. In her first playoff game, the 19-year-old finished with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. In a game that was very discouraging for the Storm franchise, Malonga’s performance was a bright spot.

With the win over Seattle, Coach Becky Hammon improves to 6-1 in the playoffs against Coach Noelle Quinn. And while regular-season and playoff stats are always separated, the Aces have now won 17 games in a row. Las Vegas has won its last three games by 25 points or more. They are absolutely rolling right now.

Las Vegas Aces

A’ja Wilson showed why she’s a three-time (possibly four-time) MVP. Wilson finished with 29 points on 10-18 FG and 8-10 FT. A’ja also had eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots.

In total, five Aces players scored in double figures. Jackie Young was a sniper, knocking down 4-6 FG from beyond the arc. She finished with 18 points and dished out a game-high seven assists. She also had four steals. Both Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans provided microwave scoring off the bench. Loyd finished with 14 points, and Evans added 13 points. They combined for 6-12 FG from the three-point line. Lastly, NaLyssa Smith had a near double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Las Vegas outshot Seattle 51% (36-71 FG) to 44% (31-71 FG). More importantly, they doubled the Storm in three-point shooting and shot a ridiculous 48% (14-29 FG) from beyond the arc. Seattle was solid, knocking down 39% (7-18 FG) of their three-point attempts, but Las Vegas outscored them by 21 points from long distance. The home team also doubled Seattle in free throw makes (16-21 FT compared to 8-11 FT). Between the free throws and extra three-pointers, the Aces were +29. Those were key differences in the game.

They also out-rebounded Seattle 39-34, but more importantly, they had a 12-2 advantage in second-chance points. Both teams scored 36 points in the paint. Seattle’s bench narrowly outscored the Aces’ reserves 36-34. Las Vegas outscored the Storm 21-12 in points off turnovers. It was a one-sided whooping!

Game Breakdown

The Storm turned the ball over on their first possession, and that led to an easy transition basket for A’ja Wilson. On Seattle’s next possession, Skylar Diggins tried to drive past Wilson and badly missed her shot. NaLyssa Smith scored on a quick pass to her. Gabby Williams used a strong drive to the rim. Smith then knocked down a short corner jumper. Nneka Ogwumike knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit down to one.

Jewell Loyd checked in and quickly went on a 7-0 run by herself. She snagged an offensive rebound past Diggins and scored near the rim. She then hit a difficult midrange shot on the baseline past Ezi Magbegor. Loyd connected on a three-ball to extend the Aces’ lead to eight at 13-5. That forced Coach Noelle Quinn to call a timeout.

Out of the timeout, the Storm turned the ball over. Ezi Magbegor stopped the initial action, but A’ja Wilson was able to score off the inbounds pass. Las Vegas forced Seattle into a 24-second shot clock violation. A’ja scored again to push the Aces’ lead to a dozen. Nneka Ogwumike used fancy footwork to get past Wilson.

Seattle tried to find Dominique Malonga in transition, but A’ja had a massive rejection with some contact, sending the youngling to the ground. As Las Vegas had a five-on-four advantage, Wilson was fouled and made both free throws. Erica Wheeler used a strong drive to get an AND1. Chelsea Gray immediately countered with a three-pointer.

NaLyssa Smith had another big rejection against Dominique Malonga. Gabby Williams knocked down a pull-up jumper near the quarter’s end. Las Vegas led 22-12 after the first 10 minutes. The Aces were red-hot; they shot 60% (9-15 FG) while the Storm managed to make just 28% (5-18 FG) of their field goal attempts.

Seattle’s defense forced an offensive foul to start the 2nd period. Skylar then found Ogwumike for the midrange jumper. The Storm got another stop, and Erica Wheeler knocked down a three-pointer in transition. That cut Seattle’s deficit to five at 22-17. Las Vegas responded with a 9-0 run to push their lead back to 14. Gabby Williams snapped the run with a nice cut and drive to the rim.

Wilson got to the rim again. Wheeler countered with a jumper near the foul line. A’ja got the mismatch down low and was fouled. She hit both free throws. Malonga grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on the putback. Wilson drew another foul. After another Seattle miss, Jackie Young drilled a three-pointer. That gave the Aces their largest lead of the first half, ahead by 16. Coach Quinn was forced to call another timeout with 2:29 left in the second quarter.

Ogwumike scored out of the timeout. Gray got an offensive rebound and fed NaLyssa Smith for the easy layup. Malonga continued to struggle with her shot and made a frustration foul against Wilson. Just for good measure, Jackie Young buried another triple at the end of the first half to put the Aces ahead by 20 points.

Las Vegas led 45-25 through the first 20 minutes. A’ja Wilson led all scorers with 16 points. NaLyssa Smith added eight points. Jewell Loyd scored seven points off the bench. Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with nine points. Erica Wheeler added eight points off the bench, and Gabby Williams contributed with six points on 3-4 FG. Las Vegas outshot Seattle 53% (17-32 FG) to 31% (11-36 FG).

Skylar Diggins scored in transition. Kierstan Bell hit a little turnaround jumper. Gabby hit a jumper. Jackie Young used a physical drive to score in the lane. Diggins hit a three. While Seattle’s offense picked up, its defense wasn’t able to get stops. A’ja and Jackie Young scored multiple times. Skylar used an AND1 to cut the deficit back down to 19.

Gabby got a steal and layup, forcing Coach Becky Hammon to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, they set up a play to get Jewell Loyd an open three that she knocked down. That led to a 9-2 run by Las Vegas as they pushed their lead to 26 (69-43).

Dom Malonga connected with a three-pointer, but it was all Aces at this point. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus grabbed an offensive rebound and scored. Gabby banked in a jumper. Jackie Young made her fourth three-pointer. Erica Wheeler got a steal, and Skylar Diggins hit her second triple of the quarter. Las Vegas led 76-52 at the end of the third.

Malonga scored on a roll to the rim. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus responded with an offensive rebound, three-pointer, and another score in transition down the lane. That pushed the Aces’ lead back up to 27 points and forced Coach Quinn to call a timeout.

A technical free throw by Jewell Loyd pushed Las Vegas’s lead to 30. Magbegor scored in transition. Loyd hit a three-pointer. Tiffany Mitchell scored a couple of times, but A’ja Wilson responded with some baskets of her own.

Both teams emptied their benches with five minutes to go in the game, and Las Vegas ahead by 30+ points. Lexie Brown hit a three-pointer. Dominique Malonga hit her second three-ball of the game. Dom was fouled and made both free throws. Dana Evans hit a three. Kierstan Bell hit one, too. Mitchell got to the foul line for two. Lexie Brown scored a transition layup. It was all academic at that point.

The Aces crushed the Seattle Storm 102-77 to take Game 1 of their first-round matchup.

Final Box Score

Up Next

The Storm (0-1) return home to Seattle to play the Aces (1-0) on Tuesday, September 16th at 6:30 PM. Seattle must win to extend their season. Otherwise, the Las Vegas Aces will sweep the Storm for a second year in a row and move on to the WNBA Semi-Finals.

Part 2

Part 2 will include additional thoughts and discussion from Sunday’s playoff game against the Las Vegas Aces. It’ll be sent exclusively to paid subscribers.

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Photo Credits: Seattle Storm/WNBA Photography