Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Sparks forward Azura Stevens (23) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Published Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023 | 2:11 p.m.
Updated Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023 | 4:06 p.m.
A'ja Wilson initially didn't think fatigue played a factor in the Las Vegas Aces losing their first home game in 397 days.
When she was reminded the Los Angeles Sparks played their first game in a week, that answer changed quickly.
"I forgot they had the week off," Wilson said laughing. "Give us a week off and see if we don't shoot like that."
A breather would be welcomed after the Aces' fifth game in eight days. Las Vegas still had a chance to complete a rally against the Sparks, but fell 78-72 at Michelob Ultra Arena on Saturday.
It's the Aces' first home loss since July 19, 2022, a 92-76 defeat to the Atlanta Dream. Tuesday's 82-63 loss to the New York Liberty in the Commissioner's Cup doesn't count in the standings.
The 21 straight home wins were tied with the Sparks from 2019-20 for the second-longest streak in league history.
Wilson had a game-high 25 points and nine rebounds, while Chelsea Gray had 10 points, four rebounds and seven assists after recording a triple-double in an 88-75 win over the Liberty on Thursday.
However, Gray had four of the Aces' 15 turnovers Saturday. That was a hole too deep for the Aces to get out of.
They committed six turnovers in the first quarter en route to 10 in the first half. While they did a better job taking care of the ball in the second half with only five giveaways, the Aces struggled to make shots except for Wilson.
The Aces shot 36% from the floor, took 22 more shots than the Sparks, and had a 13-2 edge in offensive rebounds. Gray and Kelsey Plum (4 of 13) combined to shoot 8 of 25.
"You've got to give credit where it's due," Wilson said, alluding to the Sparks shooting 52.8%. "We just couldn't get in the flow of things for whatever reason."
The Aces trailed 72-63 with 3:32 remaining following a three-point play. Jordan Canada made a jumper, followed by a foul away from the ball by Jackie Young, and a free-throw from Nneka Ogwumike.
Las Vegas responded with a 7-0 run to make it a two-point game thanks to three consecutive Los Angeles turnovers. Wilson had a chance with less than 30 seconds left to tie it on three occasions, but missed two layups and a baseline jumper that rolled off the rim.
Ogwumike hit a layup on the ensuing possession with 21 seconds to go to make it 74-70.
"They were getting into the paint, they were rebounding the basketball," Gray said. "You have to limit their paint touches."
The Aces' overall play during this eight-day run hasn't been a concern. They've found ways to win even when not playing at their best.
Their starts to games, however, have been a problem. Saturday was no different, and it went beyond the cold shooting.
The Aces put up 10 points through the first nine minutes, all by Wilson. No other Aces player recorded a point until Young made two free throws with 58 seconds left in the quarter.
Meanwhile, the Sparks took advantage of those miscues with a 14-0 run midway through the quarter to take a 16-6 lead.
Las Vegas fell behind 8-0 on Thursday against New York before cruising. On Tuesday against the Liberty, the Aces didn't sink their first basket until the 5:44 mark of the first.
Going back as far as Sunday against Atlanta, the Dream jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first four minutes.
"It becomes a mental approach," Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. "It's a classic let-up game for us. I don't want to say it was us being crappy. (The Sparks) helped us be crappy, especially jumping out early in the game."
The loss also ended the Aces' run of dominance against the Sparks, snapping their 13-game winning streak against their opponents from Southern California.
It also prevented the Aces from setting a new WNBA record for the best start to a season through 32 games. At 28-4, the Aces tied the 2000 and 2001 Sparks for the best mark, and sit one win shy of the 2014 Phoenix Mercury for the most wins in a season.
The 2001 Sparks and 2014 Mercury went on to win the WNBA title in those seasons.
Part of that let-up feeling Hammon spoke of can be attributed to this being the last home game before a four-game road trip. The Aces have two days off before facing Atlanta on Tuesday and Chicago on Thursday. Part of that trip includes a visit to the White House to celebrate last season's title on Friday before facing the Washington Mystics the next day.
Then comes the fourth and final regular season meeting against New York on Aug. 28.
There will be opportunities to break records in the coming days, but Wilson is looking forward to starting a new winning streak in Southern Nevada.
"Our fans come out every single night to support us, and it really gives us the energy we always need," she said. "We lean on them a lot. It's been a lot of fun just watching this fan base grow, from the time I was drafted here to now, I never would've imagined we'd have a crowd like this.
"When we get back in September, we'll look to start this streak again."
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
