ACES SURVIVES STORM RUN TO EXTEND HOT STREAK
The Las Vegas Aces lost a 19-point third-quarter lead before retaking control late to claim a hard-fought 90-86 home win over the Seattle Storm on Friday.
Buoyed by Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas produced a decisive 9-1 run after Seattle pulled even midway through the fourth quarter. Young tallying seven of the pivotal points via a 3-pointer and four free throws.
The Aces (17-14) had five players score in double figures, led by Wilson with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Young added 26 points, shooting 4-for-6 from 3-point range, with 19 of her points coming after halftime.
Chelsea Gray tallied 13 points and five assists, while Jewell Loyd added 10 points off the bench as Las Vegas earned its fifth win in six games. Nalyssa Smith contributed 10 points (on 5-for-6 shooting) and 12 boards.
Rookie reserve Dominique Malonga starred for the Storm (16-15), registering her second career double-double. The second pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Malonga posted career highs with 22 points, eight field goals (on 11 attempts) and 12 rebounds. It was her fourth double-figure scoring outing in the past five games, and 18 of her points came in the second half.
Seattle’s Erica Wheeler logged 16 points. Brittney Sykes posted 14 points and six rebounds, Gabby Williams also had 14 points and Nneka Ogwumike amassed 12 points and nine rebounds as the Storm took their fourth loss in a row.
Seattle shot just 38.2 percent in the first half and trailed 47-36 at intermission before surging at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, largely on the strength of Malonga.
Las Vegas held a 65-46 lead after Wilson drained a jumper with 3:45 left in the third. Seattle answered with a 29-10 run to tie the game at 75 on a Malonga three-point play with 5:38 to play before the Aces responded.
LYNX SCORE LATE, HOLD OFF NEW-LOOK MYSTICS
Fresh off a busy trade deadline for both sides, the Washington Mystics traveled to Minnesota and gave the team with the best record in the WNBA all it could handle before the Lynx pulled out an 80-76 win in Minneapolis.
Alanna Smith led the way with 25 points — her first time in double digits in three games — which included a team-high four baskets from beyond the arc. Courtney Williams added 14 points with five assists and the bench backcourt duo DiJonai Carrington and Natisha Hiedeman added 12 and seven points, respectively.
Friday was Carrington’s first home game in Minnesota since the Lynx (26-5) traded for her from the Dallas Wings on Sunday.
With less than a minute remaining, Washington rookie Sonia Citron tied the game at 76-76 with a 3-pointer but Williams responded with a 16-foot jumper off the inbound pass. The referees called a foul on Williams on the next defensive possession but a second consecutive successful challenge by Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve kept the lead in the home team’s favor.
The first challenge came when Citron went to the basket with 1:30 remaining in the game and earned a foul on Carrington. The call was overturned following the challenge, giving the Lynx possession as Smith grabbed the rebound on the missed Citron attempt.
On the subsequent possession, Kayla McBride charged the basket and drew a foul with the shot clock expiring. She hit both free throws to give the game its final score.
Minnesota was down 22-11 in the first quarter but charged back to take a three-point halftime lead. While the Lynx were still without MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, out with a right ankle sprain, the Mystics (13-17) were without Brittney Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards after both were traded earlier in the week.
Sykes was the Mystics’ leading scorer at the time of the trade.
Jacy Sheldon, whom the Mystics acquired for Edwards, did not make it to Minnesota with the team, which forced the visitors to play with a shorter bench.
Citron led Washington with 26 points and went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Fellow rookie Kiki Iriafen added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Veteran forward Shakira Austin added 12 points with five rebounds.
SABRINA IONESCU, LIBERTY DOWN WINGS FOR THIRD WIN IN ROW
Sabrina Ionescu recorded 16 points, six rebounds and six assists to help the New York Liberty post an 88-77 victory over the Dallas Wings on Friday night at Arlington, Texas.
Jonquel Jones shot 4-for-5 from 3-point range while scoring 14 points as the Liberty (20-10) won their third straight game. Emma Meesseman had 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals, and Leonie Fiebich also had 14 points before fouling out for New York.
Arike Ogunbowale scored 17 points and Maddy Siegrist added 15 off the bench for the Wings (8-23), who lost their fourth consecutive game. Reserve Myisha Hines-Allen added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Liberty star Breanna Stewart (right knee) missed her sixth straight game.
Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers (back) sat out after being injured on Tuesday against the Liberty on the front end of the home-and-home set. New York won that contest 85-76.
The Wings fell to 1-6 when Bueckers doesn’t play.
Natasha Cloud and Marine Johannes had 10 points apiece for New York, which shot 46.3 percent from the field, including 10 of 26 (38.5 percent) from 3-point range.
Dallas connected on 40 percent of its shots but was just 3 of 21 (14.3 percent) from behind the arc.
The Liberty saw a 19-point, second-quarter lead get whittled to three in the final minute of the third period but quickly restored order in the fourth quarter.
Fiebich drained a trey to start the final stanza as New York went on a 13-1 run. Jones later scored five straight points before Fiebich hit another 3-pointer to end the spurt and make it 77-58 with 5:59 left in the game.
Siegrist then went on a personal 9-0 run to bring Dallas within 10 with 4:02 left.
The Wings later trailed by seven but couldn’t move closer. Jones put the game away with a 3-pointer to make it 86-75 with 53.6 seconds left.
Ogunbowale tallied 12 points in the third quarter as Dallas trimmed a 16-point halftime deficit to 64-57.
After the Liberty scored the first points of the third period, the Wings scored 21 of the next 27. Ogunwobale made two free throws to cap the burst and bring Dallas within 58-55 with 52.7 seconds left.
Meesseman scored 14 first-half points as New York led 50-34 at the break.
