In Game 2 of the WNBA Finals Tuesday night, Aja Wilson had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Las Vegas Aces to an 85-71 victory over the Connecticut Suns.
The Aces are now one win away from the team’s first title in Game 3 in Connecticut. Las Vegas was swept in the 2008 Finals when the team was still in San Antonio. The Aces were also swept away in 2020.
“It’s going to take every point from everyone,” said Chelsea Gray, who added 21 points. “You can see the stats, it’s grit, it’s the little things that get the job done. We’ve been a great away team this year. So we might as well win away.”
Kay Ursey Plum rebounded from a poor first game to score 20 points.
“Aja scolds me before the game. That’s all I need,” Plum said. “It was almost time for me to party. They took us all week. It was good to hit some balls, but we had more.”
Get season low in first game After 67 points, the Aces discovered their offense, shooting 33-for-64 (51.6 percent) from the field.
Connecticut shot 27 of 64 (42.2 percent) with four players in double figures, with Courtney Williams leading with 18 points.
Jonquel Jones also had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds and Alyssa Thomas had 13 points.
Hoping to build the offense early, both teams picked up the pace early, trading buckets for a 10-10 draw until the Aces seized the momentum and led by seven points at 11-4. Las Vegas shot 55 percent from the field (10-for-18) in the first quarter, while the Suns shot 35 percent from the field and went just 7-for-20.
The Aces continued the offensive pressure for the second, led by Plum, who contributed 11 points in the quarter.
Connecticut trailed by 14 as coach Curt Miller’s lineup shined and the Suns responded with a 12-4 run to cut their shot at Wilson to give the Aces a 45- The deficit narrowed to six points before a halftime lead of 37.
“Go into my position and my teammates put me in a position where I’m comfortable,” Wilson said.
But Las Vegas’ offensive balance continued into the third quarter, with five different scorers helping the Aces extend their lead to 14, beating Connecticut 23-17 to 68 -54 lead into the final stage.
“We felt like we were catching up all night because we couldn’t make consecutive stops,” Connecticut coach Curt Miller said. “Try to de-rhythm this high-intensity offense, and we tried to do that tonight.”
Let’s do it
Both teams had bumps and abrasions in the third quarter. Gray and Natisa Hidman left the game with sprained ankles early in the third quarter. Gray went back to the locker room, but then came back. Jackie Young’s lip cracked. Williams left late in the third quarter with what appeared to be a calf injury. Hidman and Williams returned to start the fourth quarter. Young returned early in the final stages.
BACK TO THE WALL
Connecticut 3-0 out of playoff games so far this season.
More WNBA coverage:
- Aces Share Moment A’ja Wilson learned she won WNBA MVP
- A’ja Wilson beats Breanna Stewart to win WNBA MVP award
- SI:AM | WNBA Worth A Night of Remembrance
