Jackie Young posted 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists for her third career triple-double in the Aces' 109-87 win at Atlanta on Monday.
Jackie Young posted 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists for her third career triple-double, and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Atlanta Dream 109-87 on Monday night at State Farm Arena.
With 2:21 left in the fourth quarter, Young found Brianna Turner for the assist that completed the triple-double and put Las Vegas ahead 101-81. Young shot 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
A'ja Wilson finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. NaLyssa Smith scored 18 points. Chelsea Gray had 17 points and 6 assists.
Atlanta led 29-24 two minutes into the second quarter. A 3-pointer from Young and an and-1 from Wilson started a 15-2 run that moved Las Vegas in front 39-31 with about four and a half minutes left in the half. After a 5-2 Atlanta spurt, the Aces scored 10 straight points for a 51-36 lead, and they carried a 55-38 lead into the break.
Las Vegas shot 65% (13-of-20) from the field in the second quarter and 3-of-5 from 3-point range. Atlanta shot 31.6% (6-of-19) and 1-of-9 from deep.
The Aces turned the ball over 6 times in the first quarter, and Atlanta scored 12 points off those possessions. Over the last three quarters Las Vegas committed 3 turnovers and gave up 2 points off them.
Wilson said the Aces went into the game with an emphasis on defense and that the second quarter felt like a matter of time.
"I mean, I think it's just starting on the defensive end," Wilson said. "We kind of got stops. We started to string stops together, and then when we're able to play out of our defense, our offense is kind of a lot more smoother, and it's kind of like a pick-your-poison type of thing. So I think that's kind of what got things going.
"And just for nothing, but we had six or seven turnovers in the first quarter. And then we ended the game with nine. So we really cleaned that aspect up, and I thought we fouled a little bit too much. So we felt like, clean up the turnovers, clean up the fouling, and we're gonna give ourselves a chance to win."
Aces coach Becky Hammon said Young was frustrated in the first quarter before figuring it out.
"I just think it's fun, because she's one of the hardest workers I've ever been around, and so to just kind of see the fruition of that hard work in real time is really special," Hammon said. "She's just getting more and more comfortable in different coverages that people are showing her. They're showing her hedge, they're showing her push, they're showing her blitz... She's just found ways to slice up defenses, either with the scoring or with the pass, and that ability to make those reads, not only be effective scoring but make other people effective in their scoring, is a real luxury.
"And then you got Chelsea Gray out there as well," Hammon explained. "So having those two kind of be a two-headed monster out there on the guard front, and then you have to deal with her on the back — it's fun to watch when they're making everybody around them better."
Young said she would not have had the triple-double without her teammates.
"Yeah, I think, I mean, I know the ball's gonna be in my hands a lot," Young said. "But just trying to make the right decision off of the ball screen or the handoff, and just knowing I'm playing with the best player in the world, you know? So, you know, being smart about when I'm taking my shots, obviously trying to get her the ball. But just having a good balance. I think for me, I just have to come out and be aggressive, and that's when we're gonna get the best version of me. And so, you know, I think that helps everybody out.
"I mean, I guess early on in the season it took me a little bit to kind of figure out, you know, when I'm scoring it, when I'm passing it," Young explained. "But I think ultimately it's just coming off being aggressive and then just knowing I can make the right read."
Through the third quarter the Aces lead never dropped below 16 points, and it reached 28 at 84-56 with 2 minutes to play. Las Vegas shot 68.4% in the quarter.
Atlanta finished 4-of-25 from 3-point range at 16%, its second-lowest 3-point shooting night of the season. The Dream entered Monday shooting 30.9% from 3. Atlanta went 17-of-20 from the free throw line and outrebounded Las Vegas 34-30.
Angel Reese had 23 points and 16 rebounds for her 20th double-double of the season. Reese has recorded a 20-point double-double in five of her past six games. Rhyne Howard scored 19 points. Jordin Canada had 7 points and 7 assists, her 26th game with at least 5 assists. Brionna Jones finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds. Off the bench, Jaylyn Sherrod scored 7 points in just over 7 minutes, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 6 points in just over 6 minutes.
Atlanta had won five in a row before Monday. The Dream are 18-29 all time against Las Vegas and 11-13 at home in the series. Atlanta started Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, and Angel Reese, a group that is 18-7 together.
Dream coach Karl Smesko said Atlanta leads the league in points in the paint and that teams have begun packing it in.
"I mean, they were denying [Allisha Gray] and [Rhyne Howard], and essentially, like, daring everybody else to shoot from three, and we didn't catch it right to shoot," Smesko said. "So I always think if it's gonna be a second-thought three rather than you catch it in rhythm and let it go, you're not gonna shoot a real good percentage. But the first quarter we were able to get to the rim some, and then in the second quarter, triangle-and-two type stuff where they were really just trying to pack the paint and take away anything at the rim, and they were willing to give up some open looks at three... We didn't shoot it well, obviously."
Howard said Atlanta did not get many hands on the ball and that the Dream usually get more steals.
"Yeah, I think honestly, it's not that you lose confidence," Howard said. "It gets to a point when Jackie starts going off, and we kind of had A'ja a lot more contained than usual. Usually she makes more shots than eight shots.
"But when you have Jackie being able to go off as she did, I think that kind of steered things left for us," Howard explained. "And then offensively, I think that also kind of led to it. But if we can kind of contain that a little bit earlier, especially how good of defense I feel like we played on A'ja, I think we would be better."
Wilson entered the game needing 11 points to pass Katie Smith for 12th on the WNBA career scoring list, and she finished the night at 6,465. Her 3 blocks moved her past Lauren Jackson into sixth, at 589. Six defensive rebounds moved her past Tina Thompson into 11th, at 2,187. Wilson has scored in double figures in a league-leading 53 straight games. Her run of 11 consecutive 20-point games is the second-longest in the league. She finished at plus-38, a career high.
Chelsea Gray has handed out at least 4 assists in a league-high 18 straight games.
Mai Yamamoto, who signed with Las Vegas on July 17, hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds for her first career points. Every Aces player who checked in scored.
Wilson said the Aces were proud Yamamoto hit her shot.
"Man, Money Moto, she be doing her thing," Wilson said. "We see the work that she puts in. I feel like she's someone that came in and instantly was bringing pen and paper to film, locked into our system, understanding exactly what we need from everybody. And she absorbs information very well.
"So when she's able to knock down shots for us and actually attempt them, we're gonna always be rooting for her," Wilson explained. "So we're proud that she hit her shot today."
Las Vegas played without Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who is in concussion protocol.
The Aces play at Indiana on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Dream host Phoenix on Wednesday.
