A’ja Wilson scored 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray added 13 points and 10 assists, leading the Las Vegas Aces to a 90-71 victory over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night. This win marked the Sky’s seventh consecutive loss.
With Chicago’s defeat and Atlanta’s loss in Phoenix, the Mercury and the Indiana Fever, who were idle, secured their spots in the playoffs.
Tiffany Hayes, who started in place of Kelsey Plum due to Plum’s sore ankle, scored 20 points for the Aces (21-12). Jackie Young also contributed 15 points.
Wilson’s performance, which included three blocks, three assists, and two steals without any fouls, was her eighth game this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
This effort helped Las Vegas maintain a one-game lead over Seattle for the fourth playoff spot and homecourt advantage in the first round.
She has now scored 139 points in her last four games, tying Maya Moore for the most points in a four-game WNBA stretch. Moore set this record for Minnesota 10 years ago.
The game was held at T-Mobile Arena instead of the Aces’ usual Mandalay Bay venue, attracting 18,394 fans, the second-highest home attendance in franchise history.
For Chicago, Michaela Onyenwere led with 15 points, while Kamilla Cardoso added 14, Dana Evans had 13 points off the bench, and Angel Reese set a rookie record with her 25th double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down 16 rebounds.
The Aces were ahead 47-31 at halftime, but the Sky made a push, with Evans hitting a 3-pointer to close the gap to 78-68 with 3:58 remaining. Wilson then scored six consecutive points to help the Aces pull away.
Las Vegas led 17-13 after the first quarter and went on a 13-point run to start the second, with Gray scoring seven points and assisting on the other three baskets. The Aces extended their lead to 68-51 by the start of the fourth quarter, with Young contributing four points to an 8-2 closing run.
