The Las Vegas Aces opened their two-game East Coast road trip with a 107-99 victory over the Chicago Sky behind A’ja Wilson, who finished with 30 points and a season-high-tying 15 rebounds.
Wilson recorded her ninth double-digit rebounding performance of the season, and the Aces improved to 8-1 this year when she grabs at least 10 rebounds.
The victory was Las Vegas’ sixth consecutive over Chicago and improved the Aces to 15-2 against the Sky under Becky Hammon, including the 2022 Commissioner’s Cup championship and postseason meetings between the two teams.
“(Wilson) is an elite rebounder,” Hammon said. “When she has these performances, she has her fingerprints all over the game.
“When she wants to go get basketballs, she just goes and gets them.”
Complementing Wilson’s performance, Jackie Young added 28 points and eight assists as the Aces earned their ninth road victory of the season. Young recorded her eighth 20-point game of the year and knocked down at least four 3-pointers for the fifth time this season.
After a first quarter that featured 15 lead changes, Las Vegas seized control in the second, using a 12-4 run to build a 61-50 halftime lead.
Despite the victory, Hammon was critical of the team’s defensive effort.
“We didn’t beat somebody tonight, we just outscored somebody,” Hammon said. “That is not the way I want to win games.
“We will take it. It is a quality win because that team is playing well, but we better fix our defense overnight, or we’re going to get smacked by 30 in New York.”
Las Vegas shot 40 percent from 3-point range, making 10 of its 25 attempts. Chennedy Carter, Jewell Loyd and Kierstan Bell combined to make four of those baskets off the bench.
The Aces also capitalized at the free-throw line, drawing 26 fouls and converting 31 of 37 attempts. Wilson accounted for 13 of those points.
Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso led the Sky with 24 points and eight rebounds while shooting 10 of 15 from the field.
Cardoso, in her third season with Chicago, entered the game averaging 14 points per contest after scoring a career-high 30 points against the Portland Fire on Friday.
“We have got to buckle in,” said Wilson, who briefly left the game for the locker room in the fourth quarter after appearing to roll her ankle. “I wasn’t happy about this one. I feel like we weren’t happy about this one, and we have got to have a better showing.
“We have an opportunity to turn the page and compete against New York. We will look better.”
The Aces have scored at least 100 points six times this season and are tied with the Minnesota Lynx for the most road victories in the WNBA.
Next, the Aces travel to Brooklyn on Tuesday to face the New York Liberty in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT on Prime.
The appearance will be Las Vegas’ third in the championship game since the tournament’s inception in 2021.