LAS VEGAS (May 25, 2024)—A’ja Wilson recorded her fourth consecutive 20-plus point, 10-plus rebound game of the season, Saturday at Michelob ULTRA Arena, tying a WNBA record in the process, while leading the Aces (3-1) to a 99-80 victory over the visiting Indiana Fever (1-6).
Three other Las Vegas players scored in double figures—Jackie Young (22 points, 6 assists), Kelsey Plum (20 points, 7 assists) and Kate Martin (12 points, 7 rebounds)—while the Aces’ defense held the NCAA’s career leading scorer, Caitlin Clark, to just 8 points on 2 of 8 shooting from the field. Kelsey Mitchell contributed a team-high 16 for the Fever.
Box Score | Highlights | Photo Gallery
First Quarter Highlights (Indiana 28, Las Vegas 24)
Neither team scored more than 6-straight points and after 3 lead changes and a pair of tied scores, the Fever led 28-24 at the end of the opening stanza. The Fever held an 11-5 advantage on the boards and shot 52.4% from the field to the Aces’ 50%. Plum and Young scored 9 apiece to lead all scorers.
Second Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 46, Indiana 38)
The Fever held their largest lead of the game, 32-26 at 7:22. Shortly thereafter, the Aces strung together a 20-4 run over a 6:07 span for their first double-digit lead of the night, 46-36. Aliyah Boston scored 6 of the Fever’s points in the quarter. Young led the Aces with 8 points. In outscoring the Fever 22-10, the Aces shot 40% from the field and 36.4% from 3-point range, while holding Indiana to 26.7% of its field goal attempts and 0 of 3 from distance. The Aces, who had just 1 turnover in the quarter, scored 5 points off the Fever’s 5 miscues.
Third Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 72, Indiana 56)
The Aces held a 58-51 lead with 5:51 to go in the third frame when a Martin 3-pointer sparked a 14-5 run to close the quarter. Wilson scored the first 10 points out of the half, and finished the third quarter with 15 points and 6 caroms. The Aces hit 52.6% of their field goal attempts and held the Fever to 36.8% in the quarter. Kelsey Mitchell scored 10 points for the Fever.
Fourth Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 99, Indiana 80)
The Aces expanded their lead to 23 points, 91-68, with 3:11 remaining, and the Fever never got closer than 16 the rest of the way. Emma Cannon and Dyashia Fair got their first minutes of the season in the final frame. Martin scored 9 for the home side and Lexie Hull had 9 for the Fever.
KEY STATS
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The Aces outscored the Fever 19-9 on the fast break, and 14-9 in second-chance points.
The Aces gave up 6 points off their 10 turnovers, but converted the Fever’s 13 miscues into 10.
The Aces finished the game shooting 47.9% (35-73) from the field overall, and 37.1% (13-35) from 3-point, while the Fever netted 42.9% (30-70) of their field goal attempts and 37% (10-27) of their 3-point attempts.
Las Vegas made 16 of 18 free throws attempts, while Indiana went 10 for 13.
GAME NOTES
Wilson’s 29 points and 15 rebounds marked the 80th double-double of her career, which ranks fourth among active WNBA players. It is also her fourth-straight double-double to start the 2024 season.
Wilson’s output was her fourth-consecutive 20-point/10-rebound game, which ties the WNBA record. The streak has been accomplished twice by Sylvia Fowles and once each by Tina Charles and Glory Johnson.
Young’s 22-point output was her fourth-straight game of 20 or more points.
Through four games, three members of the Aces are averaging 20 or more points per game—A’ja Wilson (25.5 ppg), Jackie Young (22.5) and Kelsey Plum (20.7). No team has ever had three players average 20 or more points in the same season.
Tonight marked the 68th game (regular season and playoffs) for Wilson with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds—a feat she has now accomplished in 29.6% of her 230 WNBA games.
The Aces, who scored 100 or more points a WNBA-record 11 times in 2023, hit the 90-point mark for the first time in 2024.
Wilson (352 career blocks), who had 1 blocked shot, now needs 15 to draw even with No. 17 Jessica Breland (367).
Alysha Clark dished out her 500th career assist on a Martin driving layup in the 3rd quarter. She now has 501 assists in her career.
Emma Cannon scored 2 points, bringing her career total to 600 points.
Wilson’s 4th free throw of the night (she was 4 of 4) marked the 1,000th made free throw of her career which is the 30th most in WNBA history.
The Aces were without the services of Kierstan Bell (lower right leg injury) and Chelsea Gray (lower left leg injury).
The attendance mark of 10,399 is the fourth-largest crowd for an Aces game at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Las Vegas’ most attended home game since the team’s arrival in the Sports & Entertainment Capital of the World is 17,406 at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 10, 2023, against Phoenix.
NEXT UP
Las Vegas hits the road for the first time this season traveling to Minnesota, Wednesday, May 29, for a 5 pm PT tip against the Lynx. The game is being broadcast locally on Fox5 and on the radio at ESPN Las Vegas (100.9 FM & 1100 AM).
