Megan Gustafson poured in a career-high 24 factors and Tiffany Hayes added a season-best 21 because the Las Vegas Aces defeated the visiting Dallas Wings 98-84 on Thursday within the ultimate regular-season sport for each groups.
The Aces (27-13), with 4 of their common starters in road garments on the bench, held a 15-point lead at halftime, constructed it to twenty after three quarters and cruised to the win. Dallas, taking part in principally bench gamers within the fourth quarter, bought as shut as 9 factors down the stretch however succumbed.
The Aces knew previous to tip off that they might not enhance from the fourth seed within the upcoming playoffs, giving them little to play for aside from momentum for the postseason. Las Vegas will conflict with fifth-seeded Seattle at dwelling on Sunday and Tuesday within the first two video games of the best-of-three collection.
Each groups stored key gamers on the bench; Las Vegas performed with out A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Chelsey Grey, and Jackie Younger whereas the Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale and Teaira McGowan didn’t go well with up. McGowan’s absence was as a consequence of a one-game suspension for technical foul accumulation.
Sydney Colson had 13 factors for Las Vegas whereas Kierstan Bell scored 12 off the bench and Alysha Clarke added 10 factors.
Satou Sabally led all scorers with 25 factors, with Jaelyn Brown including a career-high 15 off the bench, Natasha Howard and Kalani Brown hitting for 13 factors every, and Maddy Siegrist scoring 12 for Dallas (9-31). The Wings completed the season with 9 straight losses.
The sport was tied at 30 after one interval earlier than the Aces took cost with a 12-0 run to start the second quarter, capped by a 3-pointer by Colson. Dallas swung again, drawing to inside 49-42 when Jaelyn Brown canned a jumper on the 3:52 mark. However that appeared to reignite Las Vegas, which closed the half with an 11-3 spurt to hold a 60-45 into the break.
Sabally’s 17 factors on 5-for-9 capturing led all scorers earlier than halftime. Gustafson and Hayes paced the Aces with 11 factors every within the first half whereas Clark and Colson added 10 apiece.
Dallas culled its deficit to 10 factors on three events within the third quarter however might get no nearer. Las Vegas led 88-68 heading into the ultimate interval.
–Discipline Stage Media