Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (22) celebrates after scoring during the second half of Game 1 in a WNBA basketball semifinal playoff series against the Dallas Wings Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Published Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 | 3:56 p.m.
Updated Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 | 6:30 p.m.
Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon thought two things would impact how the Aces fared in their first game in a week: how their defense looked, and shaking off the rust offensively.
It took some time. Uncharacteristic turnovers halted momentum. Between miscommunication and a lack of awareness along the baseline, the Aces couldn’t create separation from the Dallas Wings in the first half.
But the Aces have built a habit for turning defense into offense. Anchored by the now two-time Defensive Player of the Year A’ja Wilson, that was the difference in the second half with Las Vegas running to a 97-83 win in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals Sunday at Michelob Ultra Arena.
Wilson had a game-high 34 points and eight rebounds to go with three blocks, two days after she was named the league’s top defensive player for the second consecutive year.
It wasn’t just Wilson putting her stamp on a day the Aces shot 53.6% from the floor. Kelsey Plum shook off a rough first quarter to finish with 25 points, and Jackie Young closed in on a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to give the Aces a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Game 2 is here on Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPN).
“We live with good shots. We know we’re going to knock those down,” Wilson said. "I think tonight, we all got to our spots, and we created for one another.”
The Aces hadn’t played in seven days following their two-game sweep of the Chicago Sky in the first round. Hammon gave the players the next two days off, followed by two days of practice, another day off Friday, and one more practice Saturday.
Much was celebrated in that time, as well. Wilson announced the release of her new book, Alysha Clark was named Sixth Woman of the Year, and the team celebrated guard Sydney Colson's new TV show.
Hammon didn’t think it was a challenge to keep her players engaged with that time off, but she acknowledged the difficulty that would come with taking care of the ball when they took the court again. The Aces had six turnovers in the first quarter.
Wilson, however, arrived on time with 10 points in the opening frame and all three of her blocked shots. Wilson and Young carried the offense with 18 of the team's 20 points.
After two turnovers in the first quarter, Plum flipped a switch with 12 points in the second quarter — 10 of them in a row — to help the Aces to a 49-45 halftime lead.
“In the playoffs, you have to have a short memory, good or bad. It’s about the next play,” Plum said. “We haven’t played live in a week. A lot of those turnovers were just playing too fast, just mishandling the ball and were self-inflicted.”
Hammon wasn’t pleased with the effort despite the lead. The Aces shot 58% and attempted only 10 threes in the first 20 minutes, but were outrebounded 19-11 and gave up nine offensive rebounds.
There’s one strategy Hammon goes to whenever the Aces have a rough first half, and it almost works all the time.
“Becky cussed us out,” Wilson said.
Whatever words were said, they rang loud and clear.
The Aces outscored the Wings 26-12 in the third quarter — highlighted by 14 points from Wilson — to take a 75-57 lead. More importantly for Hammon, the Aces won the rebounding battle 21-11 in the second half and had six offensive rebounds of their own.
It was a response the Aces needed after allowing 24 points in the paint in the first half. Dallas finished with 40 for the game, but the Aces countered with 46 of their own.
“I can live with 14, maybe 16 or 17 in the paint in the first half,” Hammon said. “Twenty-four, no.”
The Aces handling business is a good sign for the league’s No. 1 seed, given that the New York Liberty dropped Game 1 of their series against the Connecticut Sun, 78-63, earlier in the day.
That result shows anything can happen in the playoffs. Hammon said she knows her group can play better going into Game 2. Having one day between games should help find that rhythm.
“I really feel like we’ll take care of the ball better (in Game 2),” Hammon said. “We definitely feel like we can play better. (We're) happy to get this first win.”
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
