In what could be described as a standout performance on the court, Rickea Jackson powered through with a career-high 30 points, guiding the Los Angeles Sparks to a 97-89 victory over the Las Vegas Aces, in the midst of what can only be called an intense matchup last Wednesday. This victory was especially sweet for Jackson, who was making a strong comeback after an injury in the last encounter between the two teams, proving not just her resilience but also her critical role in the Sparks lineup. AP News highlighted how Jackson delivered an impressive 11 of 17 from the field and nailed 4 out of 8 from 3-point range.
Azura Stevens also showed up in a big way, raking in 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for the Sparks while, on the Aces side, Jackie Young tied her career high with 34 points and Chelsea Gray added 28, but their efforts were ultimately overshadowed by the Sparks' offensive onslaught. The Aces, who were already somewhat hobbled by the absence of Megan Gustafson, Joyner Holmes, and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus due to various reasons, felt the sting even more as A’ja Wilson was sidelined with a head injury after being hit in the face during the third quarter, her team's woes compounded now that they've lost two straight games, as reported by AP News.
According to a recap by the Las Vegas Aces, the Aces struggled to close the gap in points in the paint, second chances, and their overall shooting percentages painfully lagged behind the Sparks'. Meanwhile Wilson's head injury could be a major plot twist in her stellar streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games, the future of which is now hanging in the balance as she stands on the precipice of the 5,000 career points milestone which would elevate her to the 28th spot in WNBA history.
The energetic crowd at Michelob ULTRA Arena witnesses what could be described as a gripping game but ultimately, the Aces' valiant comeback attempt from a 20-point deficit was not enough to bridge the gap forged by the Sparks' fiery first-quarter performance, where they shot a blistering 78.6% from the field. The Aces now gear up to continue their three-game home stand on Friday against the Dallas Wings, hoping to regain some ground after this disappointing loss against the Sparks, with or without the stalwart Wilson they are down but not out as the season grinds on, as per Las Vegas Aces.
