Aces Escape with a 74-73 win.

Jackie Young delivers the game-winner for Las Vegas in the final seconds.

(Las Vegas, Nevada) - For the 3rd time in four seasons, the Las Vegas Aces have eliminated the Seattle Storm from the playoffs. This was the closest series of the three as Seattle led by one point with 13 seconds remaining. The Storm got the initial defensive stop they needed as A’ja Wilson missed the go-ahead basket. Unfortunately, it’s only fitting that the Storm forgot to box out the offensive rebounder, and Jackie Young jumped into the air and finished with a putback layup that would ultimately end Seattle’s season. The Storm were the worst rebounding team in the WNBA this year, and it came back to bite them in the most crucial moment. The Las Vegas Aces escaped with a 74-73 victory and a 2-1 first-round series win. They will host the Indiana Fever on Sunday. Indiana upset the Atlanta Dream 87-85 earlier on Thursday night.

Coach Quinn talked about how proud she was of her team. And how badly she wanted this for them during the post-game press conference. She also talked about how no one believed they could make it a tough series with the Aces. While the doubters were ultimately correct in who won, the team battled and put up one hell of a fight.

Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler led the team in scoring with 16 points each. Skylar Diggins was the only other player to score in double figures. She added 13 points and six assists. None of them shot the ball particularly well. Seattle’s three primary scorers combined to make 14-42 FG (33%).

Brittney Sykes, Ezi Magbegor, and Gabby Williams all had some moments. Magbegor and Sykes each contributed nine points. Williams provided seven points, six rebounds, and a pair of steals. Unfortunately, Dominique Malonga had her worst game of the series, finishing with three points on 1-5 FG attempts and five rebounds.

Ironically, the Storm out-rebounded the Aces 33-27. They had a 9-4 advantage in offensive rebounds and a 9-2 edge in second-chance points. They just didn’t secure the one defensive rebound they needed to advance to the WNBA’s semi-finals.

Seattle didn’t shoot as well as Las Vegas overall, but they were better from the three-point line. They made 39% (7-18 FG) from beyond the arc compared to 25% (3-12 FG) for the Aces. The Storm’s bench outscored the Aces’ reserves 19 to 8.

Las Vegas Aces

Sometimes the other team is just better. Or this case, one player is just better than all the rest. The three-time (possibly four-time) WNBA MVP, A’ja Wilson, would not be denied. Seattle used single coverage on her the entire game to limit everyone else. In that sense, the strategy worked pretty well. Jewell Loyd was limited to only four points. Dana Evans had two points. NaLyssa Smith, who played well in this series, finished with just two points. No other Aces player besides A’ja had more than 14 points.

If Seattle could have just held Wilson to 30 points, they win the game. If they had limited her to even 35 points, they win the game and they’re moving on to the next round of the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Storm, A’ja Wilson scored 38 points on 14-26 FG. She was also 10-11 from the free throw line. A’ja was better than Nneka, Skylar, Gabby, Ezi, Dominique, etc. She was by far the best player on the court and because of that, the Aces advance to the semi-finals.

While A’ja dominated this game, Jackie Young played her Robin to Wilson’s Batman quite well. It wasn’t as strong as her previous performances, but Young was an efficient 6-12 FG from the floor and scored 14 points, including the game-winner. She also had four steals.

Chelsea Gray showed flashes of being that same killer who ended Sue Bird’s career during the 2022 postseason. Gray tallied 12 points on 5-8 FG, with most of those shots being of ridiculous difficulty. Those three players were pretty much all that Las Vegas needed as they accounted for nearly 87% of the Aces’ total points.

Las Vegas shot 46% (28-61 FG) compared to 40% (26-65 FG) for the Storm. They outscored Seattle 42-32 inside the paint. They forced the Storm into 17 turnovers and outscored them 16-11 in second-chance points. The home team had a slight edge in assists (20-17), steals (11-9), and blocked shots (5-4).

Game Breakdown

A’ja Wilson scored the game’s first basket and then scored again. Skylar Diggins was fouled and made both free throws. Jackie Young put the Aces back ahead by four. Erica Wheeler got two near the rim. A’ja Wilson was fouled and made both free throws. Ezi Magbegor scored to make it 8-6 Las Vegas. Chelsea Gray made one of her impossible shots over Gabby Williams. Williams answered with a jumper. Jackie Young drove past Wheeler down the baseline for two.

Malonga made a big defensive stop against A’ja and collected the rebound. Skylar knocked down a rainbow three to cut Seattle’s deficit down to one. Jackie Young hit a jumper as the shot-clock buzzer sounded. Brittney Sykes drove to the rim with a finger roll.

Seattle ended the first period on an 8-0 run. Gabby Williams had a layup, Dominique Malonga split two free throws, and Erica Wheeler knocked down a three-pointer to put Seattle ahead 19-14 at the end of the first quarter.

The Aces started the 2nd quarter on a 5-0 run to tie the game. All five points came from Chelsea Gray, including a big three-pointer over Magbegor. Wheeler got to the rim for two. Seattle got a steal, but A’ja Wilson blocked Diggins on the other side. Wilson then got deep paint position and scored.

Ezi Magbegor finished in the paint. On the other end, NaLyssa Smith went under the rim for two. Magbegor was fouled and made one of two free throws. Jackie Young nearly turned the ball over, but recovered and knocked down a triple. That put the Aces back on top, 26-24. Nneka Ogwumike was fouled and sank both free throws. A’ja scored in the paint. Wilson scored again. Diggins turned the ball over. Jewell Loyd drove past the defense for a layup.

Las Vegas ended the half on a 7-0 run. Five of those points came from Wilson. The Aces outscored the Storm 19-7 in the 2nd period and took a 33-26 lead into the locker rooms. The Aces outshot the Storm 50% (14-28 FG) to 29% (9-31 FG) in the first half. Coach Becky Hammon said in the post-game that they won the game because of the 2nd quarter. She also said she felt they stole the game away from Seattle at the end.

Gabby Williams hit a clutch three-pointer. A’ja Wilson made two more free throws. Skylar got dribble penetration and drained a pull-up. Ogwumike made one of two free throws. Wilson went back to the foul line and made two more. Seattle forced Jewell into a tough missed shot. Diggins then hit a three-pointer to pull Seattle within two (37-35). Coach Becky Hammon called a timeout.

A’ja scored again down low. And again. Nneka Ogwumike scored her first field goal with under five minutes to go in the third quarter. A’ja scored again. Erica Wheeler knocked down a corner three to cut the deficit to three. Wilson scored again, her 12th point of the quarter. Ogwumike was fouled and made both free throws. Diggins missed a three on one end, and Chelsea Gray made her three-pointer on the other end.

Wilson scored again to make it 50-42, Las Vegas advantage. Dominique Malonga spun to the rim for two. Dana Evans was fouled and made both to push the Aces' lead back to eight points. Wheeler got past the Aces’ defense for two. Magbegor scored with an offensive rebound putback. Las Vegas led 52-48 at the end of the third period.

Brittney Sykes drove to the rim past A’ja for a layup. Cheyenne Parker was fouled and made both foul shots. Sykes scored on a midrange pull-up. Jewell Loyd cut to the rim for two. Ogwuike and A’ja swapped baskets to keep Las Vegas ahead by four. Sykes got downhill again, scored, and was fouled for the AND1. That made it 58-57 Las Vegas.

A’ja Wilson scored an AND1 off the pick-and-roll. Ogwumike hit a turnaround to keep it a two-point game. Chelsea Gray with another ridiculous shot. Ezi got to the rim for two. Wilson scored again. Young was fouled and added one point. Nneka knocked down a three-pointer. Diggins stole the inbounds pass, and Wheeler was fouled. She made both free throws. Young bullied her way to the rim past Wheeler as the Aces regained the lead.

Ogwumike was fouled on the next play and tied the game. A’ja was fouled as Las Vegas regained a two-point lead. Seattle got an offensive rebound, and Skylar knocked down a massive three-ball to put the Storm ahead by one with 1:14 left to play in the game. Las Vegas called another timeout.

Out of the timeout, A’ja got to the rim and scored past Malonga. Seattle called a timeout to advance the ball. Skylar missed a shot, and the Aces grabbed the rebound. A’ja missed a chance to expand their lead. Wheeler knocked down a 13-footer with 19 seconds left in the game to give the Storm a one-point lead. On the Aces’ final possession, A’ja got a good look at a midrange jumper, but missed. Unfortunately, nobody boxed out Jackie Young, and she scored a putback layup that would end up being the game-winner. Wheeler had a great look on the final play, but her midrange jumper was long off the back of the rim. The Aces advance to the semi-finals.

Final Box Score

Up Next

The off-season. There should be exit interviews within the next couple of days. Then the WNBA will need to agree to a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) before anything else happens. The current deadline is October 31st, and the reports say the two sides are very far apart. We could be headed towards a lockout. If a new deal is agreed upon, the WNBA will then do the expansion draft for both Portland and Toronto. Then we’ll have Free Agency. And lastly, the amateur draft, where the Storm are guaranteed a Top 5 pick via the Los Angeles Sparks.

Part 2

Part 2 will include additional thoughts and discussion from Thursday’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