Coming off a string of losses, the Las Vegas Aces were looking to rebound but instead fell deeper into the pit with a 94-83 defeat against the Washington Mystics; as reported by WNBA, the Aces now stand at a 7-8 season record after the Thursday game. A'ja Wilson led the Aces with a solid 22-point performance, yet it wasn't enough to steer the team to victory in the back-to-back games at the Michelob ULTRA Arena; this slump seemed to deepen for Las Vegas, which also witnessed Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young each contributing 13 points in the loss. Meanwhile, Washington, even without their leading scorer Brittney Sykes and an early injury to Jade Melbourne, saw rookie Sonia Citron step up with an impressive 21 points, pushing the Mystics to an even 8-8 slate as they clinched their third consecutive win, according to the details from AP News.
The Mystics, who entered the game averaging only 5.5 makes per game from beyond the arc, dramatically improved that statistic by going 10 of 19 from distance, a heated performance that left the Aces staggering despite their own 50% shooting from the floor; it was the accuracy from the three-point range that helped to stretch out the Mystics' lead, highlighted by a ruthless 9-0 start to the third quarter making it a daunting 62-44 lead, the Aces clawed back near the end cutting the deficit down to seven points, the last at 87-80, before Shakira Austin's offensive rebound and putback at 1:31 left dashed their hopes, which all unfolded according to the description on WNBA.com.
Standout stats saw the Aces brushed up against their own icy inefficiency from the long-range shooting a lackluster 26.1% (6-23 3pt FGs), while the Mystics prospered with a season-best 52.6% (10-19 3pt FGs) from the three-point range; herculean inside the paint was Austin with her third double-double of the season, tallying 13 points and 13 rebounds, which WNBA.com recounted. The Mystics also outrebounded Las Vegas 34-27, and their bench contributions were superior to the Aces’, adding 29 points against the Aces' 20. Despite a late surge that brought an aura of a potential comeback, the Mystics managed to stifle the Aces' efforts and secured the win.
The aftermath of this game left some players with notable milestones, as AP News stated that A'ja Wilson continues her impressive streak to 63 regular-season games scoring in double figures, while teammates Chelsea Gray's 8 assists brought her career total up to 1,695, ranking 7th among all-time WNBA assist leaders; as for the Aces, they'll regroup and hit the road for a five-game stretch, next facing the Phoenix Mercury, with hopes to turn around their fortunes and escape the grip of this slide.
