The Las Vegas Aces are just two wins away from a WNBA title, thanks to a resounding 91-78 win over the Phoenix Mercury. And, the same Aces team that began the season 14-14 now leads the WNBA Finals 2-0.
The Las Vegas Aces are doing it again
Thanks to massive performances by Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson, the Aces have a 2-0 lead in the WNBA Finals.
NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
How did they do it?
Game 2 was the Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson show. All season long, the All-Stars have carried this Aces team, but they’ve both upped their game these playoffs. On Saturday afternoon, the duo combined for 62 points — the second-most points by two teammates in WNBA Finals history, per ESPN.
Wilson — who has been the most dominant player in the WNBA all year — exploded for 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Young, quietly in the midst of the best playoff run of her WNBA career, finished with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists.
In the first half, it was all Wilson; she tallied 20 points, the most of any half of her WNBA Finals career and tied for the most in the first half of any WNBA Finals game. The four-time MVP did most of her damage in the second quarter, when she exploded for 13 points and single-handedly outscored the Mercury.
Then, in the third quarter, it was all Young. Young exploded for 21 points on 8-11 shooting, setting a new record for most points in a quarter in both WNBA Finals and Aces history.
“The rim was big,” Young said in her postgame interview, recalling her her third-quarter onslaught with a smile
Through it all, veteran point guard Chelsea Gray was critical on both ends; the 2022 Finals MVP tallied 10 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.
The Aces’ Big Three outplayed the Mercury’s top trio in Game 2
In Game 1, it was bench guards Jewell Loyd (18 points) and Dana Evans (21 points) who led the way for Las Vegas. In Game 2, it was the Aces Big Three who propelled the team to victory.
For the Mercury, Kahleah Copper (23 points on 9-18 FG) once again led the way, tallying 15 points in the first half. But Copper once again couldn’t maintain her offensive momentum into the second half.
And, Alyssa Thomas, who picked up her fourth foul in the third quarter, was hampered by foul trouble. She had a quiet night by her standards, posting 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
Satou Sabally finished the game with 22 points, but began the game 1-8 from the field and only found an offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter.
The series now heads back to Phoenix, where the Mercury look to get in the win column. The Aces, meanwhile, look to take a resounding 3-0 series lead as they eye their third WNBA championship in four season.
Game 3 is Wednesday in Phoenix at 8pm.
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