Aces survive Valkyries rally to escape Valhalla with victory

The second half debacle against the Dallas Wings on Thursday was still fresh in the minds of the Las Vegas Aces.

Even in the early stages of a season, giving up 50 points and coughing up a lead in the second half is the type of loss that disheartens a team and threatens to derail a season. Becky Hammon’s frustration boiling over during her press conference was indicative of the feelings in the locker room, who knew the performance was nowhere near the standard they had talked about throughout the buildup to the season. With the defensive numbers yet to truly match the level of talent on the floor, the Aces needed to get themselves back on track to keep the losses from piling up.

While the Aces had to stave off another furious fourth quarter rally, they were ultimately able to secure a crucial 91-81 road win over the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center on Sunday.

“We had some lapses,” admitted Hammon in her postgame press conference. “I thought we took some quick shots. We had a couple turnovers. They started hitting threes. I mean, this is professional basketball; this happens all the time. One team is playing a little conservative, and the other one is playing ultra-aggressive, so sometimes that happens throughout the course of a basketball game.”

Flipping the script

With the game hanging in the balance after the first half, the need to come out firing on all cylinders was apparent for the Aces.

Sure enough, they accomplished this goal with an impressive 29-13 performance in the third quarter. A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, in particular, dominated in the third, scoring all but five of the points in that ten minute span. Getting out to the big lead built the Aces a cushion that allowed them to absorb a pushback from the Valkyries in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

“We just wanted to really compete,” said Hammon about her team’s strategy. “We’re still early in the season and we want to be locked in and nailed down with our basics. I thought we had a pretty clean basic gameplan coming in, so clarity makes you quicker. We just wanted to execute the gameplan.”

Dynamic duo

Wilson continued to be her dominant self with a double-double, securing 28 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.

However, the performance from Young made a massive impact, which was necessary for the Aces. Needing to log heavy minutes to offset the absences of Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans, as well as Chennedy Carter taking a hip injury in the first period, Young flirted with a triple-double with 23 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Despite the early-season struggles, including back-to-back zero-point games for the first time in her WNBA career, seeing Young play up to her All-WNBA potential was a refreshing sight for the Aces.

“Jackie just being Jackie,” mentioned Hammon about her star’s performance. “I was hoping she got one more dime there so she could have got her double-double.”

“I think the last games are a little much ado about nothing. I trust her work. I trust her feel. It was a typical Jackie game, honestly.”

Paintbrushed

While the Valkyries tried to do most of their damage from beyond the arc, the Aces elected to play a smashmouth style of basketball to their advantage.

The strategy worked like a charm, as the Aces succeeded on 53 percent of their two-point looks to achieve a 36-12 edge in points in the paint. It was no surprise to see the Aces push the play inside with a league-leading 48 points per game in the paint, but what was surprising was seeing how they had an answer for the best interior defense in the league. Prior to this game, the Valkyries had held their opponents to only 30 points from inside, so getting the advantage inside allowed the Aces to get the spark they were looking for.

“Our scheme is skewed to make sure I got to get people involved, and I want to get people involved,” said Wilson. “In playing basketball the right way, I think we just play for one another. Make the basketball find the best person who shoots the ball on the floor. I tell [Stephanie Talbot] all the time that sometimes, you’re going to have the best shot because everyone’s so concerned about the next person.”

It is now off to Los Angeles to finish this latest road trip, as the Aces head off to face the Sparks on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.