3 takeaways from Aces’ win: Clutch play keeps home streak intact

The Aces hadn’t lost a regular-season game at Michelob Ultra Arena since July 19, 2022.

Try as they might Sunday, they wouldn’t lose to the Dallas Wings, either.

The defending WNBA champions squandered a 20-point lead against the Wings — to whom they last lost — before pulling away in the fourth quarter to secure a 104-91 victory before another sellout crowd.

Kelsey Plum scored a game-high 28 points, and Chelsea Gray added 27 points and eight assists for the Aces (23-2). A’ja Wilson had 22 points, seven rebounds and six blocks.

“We had to get some stops and execute on the offensive end, spread them out a little bit,” said Gray, who made 7 of 12 field goals. “We had to get it done by committee. … They’re a load down there in the paint.”

Here are three takeaways from yet another victory:

1. A battle on the boards

Or a lack thereof — considering the Wings’ 41-30 rebounding advantage.

One of the biggest teams in the league, Dallas hammered the glass in the third quarter and slowed the pace of play by increasing its physicality. Center Teaira McCowan — among the WNBA’s tallest players at 6 feet, 7 inches — had 25 points and 14 rebounds. Forwards Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally combined for 32 points and 17 rebounds.

Their presence in the paint helped pull the Wings within three points midway through the fourth quarter.

“They hurt us on the glass. That was the biggest thing. I thought they were very intentional,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “They were more forceful, more intentional getting downhill into the paint.”

Not that Wilson can’t handle it.

With Candace Parker out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for a fractured foot, the reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year has played more at center — or as the lone big, a role she often assumed last season.

“Just trying to be the anchor of the defense … no matter the matchup,” Wilson said. “It’s a team thing.”

2. Crunch-time clinic

The Aces closed on a 23-12 run after the Wings (14-11) pulled within three, during which Gray accounted for six points and five assists in another demonstration of her crunch-time cool.

She probed the paint and drew multiple defenders, finding cutters and shooters such as Alysha Clark, who hit a key 3-pointer with 6:28 to play.

But Hammon was more pleased with the way the Aces defended, recording four straight stops to finish the game.

“It was a tough physical game,” she said. “I thought when we needed to get stops we did.”

3. Don’t need depth

Wilson, Gray, Plum and Jackie Young all played 34 minutes or more. Clark is the team’s only reliable reserve, converting 4 of 4 3-pointers en route to 12 points.

The Aces weren’t deep last season, relying mostly on six players to win the franchise’s first championship,

“It is what it is. Everybody deals with injuries and other off-court issues,” Hammon said. “For us, we just have a buckle-down, bunker mentality. We’ve got to get a little bit more. I’m constantly squeezing the rock trying to get another drop out of our players, our bench, everybody. But we’ll continue to put (our reserves) out there in situations.

“We’ll need them.”

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.