Kayla McBride, A’ja Wilson propel Aces to win over Sky
Aces guard Kayla McBride scored 28 points against the Chicago Sky on Thursday night.
Aces forward A’ja Wilson scored 24 points.
No other Aces player scored in double figures.
Frankly, it didn’t matter.
The Aces rode their two stars to an 84-80 victory at the Mandalay Bay Events Center before an an announced crowd of 4,699 that included NBA superstar Chris Paul.
McBride and Wilson are cultivating some chemistry midway through the WNBA season. It’s palpable at this point, and it bodes well for the Aces (7-12) and a potential playoff berth.
That’s right, playoffs.
They’re just 2½ games out of the eighth and final spot.
“McBride and (Wilson) have a special thing going right now,” coach Bill Laimbeer said. “They know each other pretty well off the court. … We need more people to join the party, and they will.”
Laimbeer challenged his team before the game to strive for a playoff berth, which is suddenly realistic despite a dismal start.
McBride and Wilson responded by scoring 15 points apiece in the first half, but the Aces still trailed 53-51 at the break because of their undisciplined defense.
So Laimbeer issued another challenge — shut down Chicago (6-12) in the third and fourth quarters.
Challenge accepted.
The Aces limited the Sky to 16 points in the third quarter and 11 in the fourth with a more communicative, cohesive effort. Carolyn Swords came off the bench to register 12 rebounds in 19 minutes, and her 6-foot-6 frame and positioning kept Chicago from the basket and allowed the Aces’ guards to pressure the perimeter.
“We saw defense in the second half,” Laimbeer said, “and that’s where we won the game.”
McBride went to work, too, with her usual array of drives, cuts and jumpers. Wilson found her for a backdoor layup midway through the third quarter and smirked with satisfaction as she backpedaled down the court upon completion of the play.
A little eye contact goes a long way.
“We’re trying to bring championships here,” said McBride, who shot 11-for-21 and added seven assists. “It’s going to start with us two. As long as we have the trust between us, the rest will follow.”
The Aces led the entire fourth quarter, and Wilson secured a key offensive rebound in the final minute to secure the victory.
Make no mistake, she’s thinking playoffs.
Even after the 1-7 start, because the Aces are 6-5 in their last 11 games.
They’ve come a long, long way.
“That is the biggest thing for us, is just getting there,” said Wilson, who had a career-high seven blocks. “We can control what we can control. We know we have a lot of things we need to work on, but I think that’s a pretty good team goal for us, and we’re just going to keep going.”
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Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
