Kelsey Plum recorded 18 points and eight assists and the league-best Las Vegas Aces rolled to a convincing 98-81 victory over the visiting New York Liberty on Thursday night.
A’ja Wilson added 16 points; Candace Parker registered 15 points, six rebounds and five assists; and Jackie Young had 15 points, six assists and five rebounds for Las Vegas (14-1), which won its seventh straight game. Chelsea Gray contributed 14 points, six assists and three steals. The Aces never trailed the game.
Breanna Stewart scored 16 points and Jonquel Jones added 13 for New York (10-4), which had its four-game winning streak halted. Courtney Vandersloot and Marine Johannes added 10 points apiece for the Liberty.
The Aces shot a stellar 58 percent, including 9 of 21 from 3-point range, while reaching 90 points for the 12th time this season.
The Liberty shot 47.7 percent and were 8 of 20 from behind the arc.
Las Vegas rattled off the first 11 points of the third quarter to build a 60-42 lead.
Parker and Wilson each scored two baskets and Young drained a trey to cap the burst and make it an 18-point margin with 7:17 remaining.
Sabrina Ionescu made a 3-pointer with 6:56 remaining for New York’s first points of the third quarter.
Later in the period, Young connected on another 3-pointer as Las Vegas held a 73-51 lead with 2:26 left.
The Aces led 76-56 entering the fourth quarter before Kiah Stokes’ layup and Parker’s 3-pointer pushed the lead to 25.
Gray’s 3-pointer made it 88-61 with 5:48 left. A few minutes later, the benches were cleared as Las Vegas finished off the victory.
Plum scored 15 first-half points to help the Aces hold a 49-42 halftime lead. Stewart tallied 14 in the half for New York.
Las Vegas led 28-22 after the opening quarter and held its biggest first-half advantage at 45-32 courtesy of Parker’s 3-pointer with 2:50 left in the half.
–Field Level Media
