FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Wings - Game 11

FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs. Wings – Game 11

Franchise Sports Media

Las Vegas Aces (8-3) | Dallas Wings (5-6)

 

 

It had been about two weeks since the Aces’ last home game at Michelob Ultra Arena, and they were welcomed back by a loud crowd.

 

RECAP:

 

After going eight days without a game, the Aces came out of the gates faster than expected — although they did have a few early hiccups. Two turnovers in their first three possessions led to two easy layups for the Dallas Wings. They settled in, however, and each of Vegas’ five starters had scored a basket before the first media break at 4:13 of the quarter. Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby contributed to a 7-0 Aces run to bump the lead to 11 before Satou Sabally stopped the bleeding. The closing minutes of the quarter were filled with turnovers and missed shots while Vegas held a solid lead, but Sabally drained a contested three as the shot clock expired to cut Dallas’ deficit to 5. The Aces closed the quarter with a 27-22 lead.

Liz Cambage knocked down a mid-range jumper from the free-throw line to give Vegas its first two points of the second frame. Satou Sabally again found her way to the rim and converted on yet another and-one to keep the game close. Marina Mabrey drove left and scored her first bucket of the game and then drilled a transition three-pointer moments later to give the Wings a 32-31 lead.

The lead was only brief, though, as Chelsea Gray got to the rim and converted on an up-and-under layup. Reigning MVP A’ja Wilson began picking things up after a huge block. She then nailed back-to-back jumpers to get herself up to nine points before the half. Mabrey and Plum traded threes towards the end of the quarter, and then a Sabally Flagrant foul awarded Vegas two free throws. The Aces held a 43-41 lead at the break.

The third quarter got off to a fast start, with both offenses putting the pedal to the metal. For Dallas, it was a total team effort in the scoring department over the first five minutes of the half, while the Aces received a bulk of its scoring production from Wilson. Both teams slowed down a bit following the mid-way-point of the quarter as the defenses picked things up. A mini 4-0 spurt by the Wings tied the game at 59, and then Plum scored five points of her own to build the lead back up. Two Arike Ogunbowale free throws cut the deficit to two points at the third quarter’s conclusion, with Las Vegas leading 65-63.

Dallas Wings coach Vickie Johnson burned an early timeout just a minute into the fourth quarter after Liz Cambage, and A’ja Wilson scored two unanswered buckets at the rim. The Aces had the momentum, but a string of turnovers zapped it all away. Dallas trimmed the deficit from eight points to four after an Isabelle Harrison driving layup. The Wings continued to hang around for a little while longer, but an and-one from Wilson and a three-pointer from Cambage put the lead at 10 with a minute to play. That would be enough to earn the Aces an 85-78 win.

 

POSITIVES:

 

A long and choppy game was played in which the Aces had a ton of mistakes, but they did have a few positives in the win.

 

🚫H! MY! A'JA! 😤@_ajawilson22 #ALLIN ♦️♠️ pic.twitter.com/SYwRxvTldB

— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) June 13, 2021

Free throws – It’s always a sign of a good process when the Aces are getting to the foul line. They did that in this game against the Wings and converted on 21-26 attempts. Those easy points combined with their offensive efficiency equals trouble for opposing defenses.

Defense – Dallas shot just 25-77 (32.5 percent) from the field and 5-24 (21.0 percent) from three. That was ever so important on a night in which Dallas put up 13 more shots than the Aces due to turnovers and offensive rebounds. 

 

 

NEGATIVES:

In the team’s first game in eight days, the Aces had lots of sloppy and uncharacteristic faults that plagued them throughout the game.

Turnovers – Credit it to the long layover, but the Aces had a magnitude of sloppy and careless turnovers — nine in the first half alone and 16 in the game. It allowed for the Wings to do what they do best which is to get out in transition and score baskets. 

Offensive Rebounds – Vegas’ defensive rebounding remained an issue in-game No. 11. Dallas grabbed nine offensive boards in the first half and five more in the second. As a result, the Wings took 13 more shots than the Aces did, which is a tough ratio to overcome when trying to win a game.

 

 

 

The Aces will stay home and face the New York Liberty on Tuesday, June 15th. Tune into ESPN3 at 7:00 p.m. PST to follow the action live, and make sure to catch the next recap here at Franchise Sports Media.

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