Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson each had 22 points as part of double-doubles as the Las Vegas Aces held off the visiting Los Angeles Sparks for an 89-82 victory on Saturday.
Wilson scored 12 points in the third quarter after the Aces (2-0) closed the first half on a 17-1 run to lead by nine at the break. She finished with 10 rebounds. Young added 11 assists and drilled a 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining in regulation after the Sparks (0-2) got within 86-82.
Former Ace Dearica Hamby had 29 points, on 12-of-16 shooting, and nine rebounds for the Sparks, who shot 51.5 percent from the field but committed 18 turnovers. Los Angeles allowed Vegas to make 13 3-pointers.
Paced by two baskets from Kia Nurse (13 points) and consecutive 3-pointers from rookie Rickea Jackson (13 points), Los Angeles used a 12-2 run to lead 32-25 with 4:37 remaining in the first half.
However, the Aces found their form to score 17 of the final 18 points of the half.
Young knocked down a 3, and Alysha Clark’s triple soon tied the game at 32-32. Wilson’s layup with 2:09 left in the second quarter put the Aces ahead.
Back-to-back threes from rookie Kate Martin and Wilson extended the Aces’ run to 15-0 and their lead to 40-32 before Hamby ended the Sparks’ drought with a free throw. A pair of free throws from Kelsey Plum (17 points) put Las Vegas ahead 42-33 at the half.
Wilson posted two three-point plays and scored off a steal to give the Aces a 58-48 lead in the third. A Young 3 put Las Vegas up 77-64 early in the fourth, but a 10-2 run from the Sparks made it a five-point contest with 5:10 left.
Four points from Hamby highlighted a 6-0 spurt that got Los Angeles to 84-80 with 2:37 to play before Wilson stepped up with a basket. Hamby scored again before Young’s 3 iced the game for Vegas.
Los Angeles’ Cameron Brink, the second overall draft pick last month, had three points, eight rebounds and five blocks.
–Field Level Media
