The Las Vegas Aces are going into the All-Star break in the absolute worst way, coughing up a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose 100-99 to the Washington Mystics on Wednesday. Seriously, a nine-point lead in the final frame? That stings, and it’s a loss they’re definitely going to want back.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: A Defensive Nightmare
Look, when your head coach lays it out plain and simple, you know there’s a problem. Becky Hammon did not mince words after the game, saying, “When we don’t defend, we lose.” She pointed directly at the 100 points given up and that brutal 29-point fourth quarter. Her team is now 0-3 when they let opponents put up those kinds of numbers. Ouch. How can you expect to win when you let a team drop 29 in the last 10 minutes? The Aces offense was absolutely cooking, too. A’ja Wilson was an absolute force, posting a game-high 38 points. Jackie Young chipped in with 24 points, and Chelsea Gray added 19. Those are gaudy numbers for three players! It should have been a W, no doubt. But here’s the kicker: after those three, the scoring fell off a cliff. Only Jewell Loyd managed more than four points with her eight. That lack of depth scoring is a killer, especially when your defense crumbles. Brianna Turner summed it up, saying, “As great as our basketball players are, they’re just as great humans, so that’s really cool to be around. They just hold such a high standard, hold everyone to such a high standard.” That’s awesome for team culture, but high standards on offense need to translate to defense, too.
Mystics Depth and Board Work Blew Them Away
While the Aces were relying heavily on their stars, the Mystics showed what a true team effort can do. They attacked with depth, and it absolutely paid off. Shakira Austin, who was an All-Star snub, kept her breakout campaign rolling with a team-high 25 points, including the game-winning layup and an additional free throw. All-Star Sonia Citron also went off for 20 points. And get this: the Mystics had six players in double-digit points! Kiki Iriafen, Michaela Onyenwere, Georgia Amoore, and even rookie Lauren Betts all contributed huge. That’s how you pull off an upset at home! It wasn’t just scoring depth, though. The Mystics absolutely dominated the glass. They are the WNBA’s top rebounding team, and they proved it by winning the board battle 34-24. Giving up 12 offensive rebounds is just asking for trouble, and that allowed the younger Mystics team way too many second-chance opportunities. Iriafen was a monster on the boards, snagging a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with her 12 points for a double-double. Even with Wilson and Young pulling down seven boards each, it wasn’t enough. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus knows what’s up, saying, “Our focus as a team is to get better every day, especially on defense. We need to make sure we go back and watch how we had a couple lapses defensively and see how we can get better for the next part of this season.” She’s not wrong.
This loss before the All-Star break means the Aces have some serious soul-searching to do. They’ve got to clean up the defense and figure out how to get more production from their bench. Otherwise, those incredible performances from their stars are just going to keep getting wasted.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply