Aces struggle down the stretch in 93-90 loss at Dallas

Poor shooting from the field in the final 7 minutes of the game saw the Las Vegas Aces' two-possession lead over the Dallas Wings crumble, leading to a 93-90 loss today.

Over the final 6:52 of the game, the Aces scored just 4 points from the floor. The Aces still kept the game close at the free throw line, shooting 15-of-22 in the final frame.

"We go down the stretch and that fourth quarter just killed us," Chelsea Gray said. "They scored 32 points in that fourth quarter, so it didn't even go to that last possession." 

The Aces offensive effort was carried by A'ja Wilson, who downed 42 points and shot 72% (16-of-22) from the field. She became the fourth player in WNBA history with three or more 40-point games. Jackie Young filled out both offensive and defensive categories, finishing with 17 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds.

"I'm just doing what the defense gives me, and if they fall, they fall, but if they don't, I'm gonna try to still be productive for my team," Wilson said. "Today it was this (her 42 points), but we didn't get the win, so none of that matters." 

Three Wings players scored 20-plus points, led by Satou Sabally with 28 points, who shot 71% from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Natasha Howard followed with 24 points, and Arike Ogunbowale had 20 points. Dallas also outscored Las Vegas, 14-to-4 from the field in the final 6:52 of the game.

This was just Sabally's fifth game of the season and the Wings are starting to get more minutes from Howard, which Wilson said played a role in the loss and remarked that a lot of these teams are different than the last time the Aces have seen them. Nearing the start of the postseason, a lot of WNBA teams are nearing full health. 

"The matchups, their movement, their plays, everything is different when you're missing two players (Sabally and Howard) like that," Wilson said. "That changes the nature of the game when the matchups are a little bit different." 

Las Vegas once again got beat on the boards, outrebounded by the Wings' 40-26. Dallas' 6-foot, 7-inch center Teaira McCowan was a nightmare under the basket for the Aces, recording 17 rebounds. Howard and Sabally also pushed double rebounding figures. The defensive effort is something Aces coach Becky Hammon has been frustrated with all season and she says the team needs to figure it out. 

"I can't make them do it," Hammon said on improving the Aces defensive effort. "They have to do it. What am I going to do? Pull them out? Anybody I put in there didn't rebound. That was the whole deal." 

Hammon added that she was "furious" with the Aces defense in the second half. 

The Aces fall to 18-12 on the year, their worst record since they were 19-12 on Aug. 27, 2019. They now fall to fifth in the WNBA Standings behind the Seattle Storm. Since returning from the Olympics, the Aces are 2-4.

Las Vegas returns home Friday against the Atlanta Dream at 7 p.m. another team that's trying to make a push for the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.