Aces extend win streak to 3 games in victory over Sky

"When the ball is popping, the Aces are on."

Ball movement has been an intricate part of the Las Vegas Aces' late-regular season success. On Tuesday, the Aces recorded 31 team assists en route to rattling off a third straight win, downing the Chicago Sky, 90-71.

It's a fine line that coach Becky Hammon walks of letting players stand out individually versus having them move the ball around.

There's plenty of individual talent to be showcased; even with the high-assist numbers, A'ja Wilson still had 30 points and 14 rebounds, but the Aces have found ways in this stretch to get everyone involved.

"Two-plus passes, and we shoot a way better percentage than when it's just one pass or no pass," Hammon said. "It's a fine balance for a coach because one of the greatest assets we have is our individual play and one of our greatest weaknesses is individual talent."

"It's getting everybody to play together, sharpen each other's talents and bring out the greatness in everyone."

It's the second straight game where the team had 30+ assists and at least one player broke double passing figures. Tuesday, Chelsea Gray had 10 assists and Jackie Young had six, 48 hours off a career-high 14 assists in a road win over the Phoenix Mercury. 

"Chelsea got her groove back," Hammon told Gray in the postgame press conference.

It was debatably the guard's best game of the season. She had her first double-double of the year, complementing her passing game with 13 points.

After missing a quarter of the season due to an injury sustained in the 2023 WNBA Finals, Gray said that she feels like her game is starting to come back at the right time.

"My timing, being in shape and all those things are coming back," Gray said. "I want to be the best form of myself in September and October, not in May and June. That's what you're kind of seeing on both ends of the court."

And it's not just Gray that sees her game begin to spike. Tiffany Hayes scored 20 for the second time in three games, something that she hasn't done since 2021 when she was with the Atlanta Dream.

Hammon praised Hayes after Tuesday's game saying that she "loves Tiffany Hayes." The veteran has stepped in big ways as a starter when Young was out against Atlanta and when Kelsey Plum was listed out with a right ankle injury against the Sky.

While Hayes has found a lot of success as a temporary starter, Plum will likely be back in the lineup on Friday against the Connecticut Sun as Hammon said the decision to sit her was "precautionary."

Hayes said that she's happy she's found this new home in Las Vegas and it just took a second for her game to "click."

"This team has always welcomed me here, wanted me here, and knew what I could do all along," Hayes said. "It just took me some time to get to where I needed to be and it just clicked."

Things are starting to come into place for the Aces after multiple stretches of uncertainty this season. These last three games the Aces have won comfortably and the defense has been consistent.

However, Hammon doesn't think the Aces have hit their peak yet. 

"Maybe it's just my utter stubborn belief in these women that I just think we're getting there, but I still know we got another gear," She said.

With the start of the playoffs now less than a month away, the Aces will be put to the test this weekend against the top two teams in the league, Connecticut (Friday) and New York (Sunday), on the road.

A pair of wins could put the Aces back in conversation for a No. 2 or No. 3 seed. They currently sit at No. 4, just a game ahead of the Seattle Storm.