The Las Vegas Aces are moving on to their seventh consecutive semifinal appearance.
The No. 2 seed Aces defeated the No. 7 seed Seattle Storm 74-73 on Thursday in a decisive Game 3, behind a dominant 38-point performance from A’ja Wilson, the newly minted Co-Defensive Player of the Year. The Aces’ win sets up a semifinal matchup against the No. 6 seed Indiana Fever beginning Sunday.
‘I am so proud of my team, we were resilient, that’s what we need to be in these playoffs and I love each and every last one of them,’ said Wilson, whose stat line was rounded out by five rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. ‘The job’s not done, it’s just first round and we have to get ready for the next one.’
Storm guard Erica Wheeler hit a pull up jumper with 19.3 seconds remaining to give the Storm a 73-72 lead. The Aces responded on the next possession with a go-ahead tip shot from Jackie Young, who cleaned up a miss from Wilson to retake the lead with 12.4 remaining. The Storm had a look at a game-winner, but Wheeler missed a jumper and Gabby Williams couldn’t get another shot off before the buzzer rang and the lights in Michelob Arena went off in celebration.
Wilson, Jackie Young (14 points) and Chelsea Gray (12 points) combined for 64 of the Aces’ 74 points. Wilson’s 38-points tied her playoff career high.
Wheeler and Nneka Ogwumike finished 16 points each for the Storm. Skylar Diggins added 13 points.
Storm vs. Aces highlights
End of Q3: Las Vegas Aces 52, Seattle Storm 48
The Aces have a four-point lead over the Storm heading into the fourth quarter.
A’ja Wilson is carrying the Aces to the finish line with 27 points, five rebounds and two assists. Wilson, Chelsea Gray (10 points) and Jackie Young (nine points) have combined for 46 of the Aces 52 points, while the rest of the team has only scored six points.
Erica Wheeler has a team-high 12 point off the bench, while Skylar Diggins has 10 points and three rebounds. Nneka Ogwumike is up to seven points (1-of-7 FG, 0-of-1 3PT), but is still looking to get going. The Storm is collectively shooting 36.2% from the field and 5-of-12 from the 3-point line.
Halftime: Las Vegas Aces 33, Seattle Storm 26
The Las Vegas Aces have a seven-point advantage heading into halftime following a low-scoring first half.
Aces center A’ja Wilson is the only player to reach double-digits with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists through two quarters. Jackie Young added nine points, while Chelsea Gray has seven. Twenty of the Aces 33 points came in the paint.
The Storm were held to seven points in the second quarter. Erica Wheeler has a team-high seven points off the bench, while Skylar Diggins added five points (1-of-5 FG, 1-of-2 3PT) and two assists. Nneka Ogwumike is still looking for her first field goal, going 0-of-4 from the field and 0-of-1 from the 3-point line.
End of Q1: Seattle Storm 19, Las Vegas Aces 14
The Storm went on an 8-0 run to end the first quarter and lead by five points.
‘We are going to set the tone defensively and try to build on that in the second quarter,’ Storm guard Skylar Diggins said.
Diggins had five points in the quarter including a rainbow 3-pointer. Erica Wheeler added five points off the bench.
A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young have six points each for the Aces, who are trying to recover from their first loss in 17 games on Tuesday.
What time is Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces?
The Las Vegas Aces host the Seattle Storm in the decisive Game 3 on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT) at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
How to watch Seattle Storm at Las Vegas Aces: TV, stream
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT)
- Location: Michelob Ultra Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- TV channel: ESPN2
- Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)
Starting lineups
Las Vegas Aces starting lineup
Head coach: Becky Hammon
- 0 Jackie Young | G 6′ 0′ – Notre Dame
- 1 Kierstan Bell | F 6′ 1′ – Florida Gulf Coast
- 3 NaLyssa Smith | F 6′ 4′ – Baylor
- 12 Chelsea Gray | G 5′ 11′ – Duke
- 22 A’ja Wilson | C 6′ 5′ – South Carolina
Seattle Storm starting lineup
Head coach: Noelle Quinn
- 3 Nneka Ogwumike | F 6′ 2′ – Stanford
- 4 Skylar Diggins | G 5′ 9′ – Notre Dame
- 5 Gabby Williams | F 5′ 11′ – UConn
- 13 Ezi Magbegor | F 6′ 4′ – Australia
- 20 Brittney Sykes | G 5′ 9′ – Syracuse
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