Aces still struggling to find defensive identity after loss to Lynx

There was nothing but good vibes for the Las Vegas Aces coming off of their win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.

For the first time in over a month, the Aces' defense looked sharp, limiting the Sparks to 71 points and forcing them to cough up the ball 21 times. Confidence was building back up in a part of the Aces game that had been lacking all season.

Three days later, that confidence was drained.

In the first game of a home-away series against the Minnesota Lynx, the Aces' defense allowed their opponents to shoot nearly 60% from the field and down 50-plus points in the first half for the second time this season.

When the dust settled, the Aces were on the losing end of a 98-87 result to the Commissioner's Cup Champions.

"I'm not going to call anybody out, but some of our big studs were not guarding tonight," Aces coach Becky Hammon said. "Anytime a team shoots 60% from the floor and basically 60% from three, that's just a losing anecdote."

"Until we get our defensive identity, we're going to continue to struggle. We made so many mistakes, and it was my big dogs making mistakes."

The inability to establish a defensive identity is a tune that Hammon and the Aces have had on repeat all season. From the team's first loss against Phoenix in late May to now, everyone on the roster has stressed how the defensive effort needs to improve.

Hammon said the Aces were guarding they Lynx like they were the Sparks, two teams on opposite ends of the WNBA Western Conference standings.

She pinpointed that the lack of adjustment allowed Lynx guard Courtney Williams to find space to shoot the ball or find her teammates for wide-open shots. She finished the game with 22 points, 10 assists and pushed a triple-double with seven boards.

"We did a good job against LA, and then completely different now," Hammon said. "LA has completely different personnel and Minnesota has shooters everywhere...This team (Minnesota) is completely different. You have to be able to guard some people one-on-one people and you have to be able to know what you're living with."

Kelsey Plum, who finished 20 points, went as far as saying she got "cooked" by Williams.

"She's (Williams) playing a high level of basketball right now and she cooked me tonight," Plum said. "She's coming off midrange jumpers and there's times I'm going over, I'm going under, I'm trying to be physical and she had it tonight.

"There's when you get your a-- kicked, and you got to give them credit."

Plum added that the biggest inconsistency was the officiating against the Lynx. She was hesitant to comment on it, cautions that she may get fined by the WNBA.

Plum didn't use officiating as an excuse as she said Minnesota "made them pay."

Time is slowly ticking down on the regular season and the road to a third WNBA Championship is getting narrower. The Lynx and New York Liberty are slowly pulling away as favorites to win it all, while the Aces are battling for home court in the first round.

The Aces are now in fifth place, a game behind Seattle, and two games ahead of the Phoenix Mercury. In a tight race for spots two through five, other teams are slowly pulling away.

Rematching against the Lynx on Friday in Minneapolis, before taking on the Chicago Sky on the road on Sunday, the Aces know that they're officially in the push for the playoffs.

"It's do or die time," Plum said.