3 takeways from Aces’ win: Young drains 3s; reserve delivers

Leading the WNBA in 3-point percentage (38.2) entering Tuesday night’s game against Atlanta, it was a rare sight to see the Aces without a 3-pointer in the first quarter.

Their dry spell wouldn’t linger for long, as Jackie Young, the league leader in 3-point shooting accuracy (47.5 percent), came to the rescue.

Young drilled four 3-pointers and scored 14 of her team-high 24 points in the second quarter as the Aces pulled away for a 93-72 home win over the Dream at Michelob Ultra Arena.

“Our game plan was to get back to the basics, which is effective sometimes to go back to the basics and get sharp on those,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “Our schedule is about to get super tough. Every little bit of rest matters, every minute of being locked in matters as we go in this final stretch.”

With the win, the Aces (24-2) have become the first team in the WNBA to clinch a playoff spot.

A’ja Wilson scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Kelsey Plum added 14 as the Aces shot 52.3 percent from the field and 47.8 percent from 3-point range.

Young left late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Hammon said it was a tweak, and she will be fine.

Cheyenne Parker led the Dream (14-12) with 19 points.

The Aces next play at the New York Liberty on Sunday to start a three-game road trip.

Three takeaways from Tuesday night’s victory:

1. Bell’s fourth-quarter spark

Atlanta didn’t go away easily. The Dream, who gave the Aces their first test of the season in a 92-87 defeat in Atlanta on June 2, cut an 18-point Aces lead to single digits.

Dream forward Haley Jones made a 3-pointer to begin the fourth and cut the Aces’ lead to eight points, but second-year Aces guard Kierstan Bell had an answer.

Bell hit a step-back 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, and the Aces held the Dream scoreless over the next 4:32 to put the game out of reach.

“(Bell) likes the big moment. She’s not scared of the moment,” Hammon said. “We want to continue to develop her and grow her in a good way that’s going to benefit both her and us. You’re starting to see that buildup.”

Bell finished with 15 points and made 55.6 percent of her shots, including three 3-pointers.

2. Capitalizing off turnovers

Both teams had seven first-half turnovers, but the points off turnovers were dramatically in the Aces’ favor.

The Aces scored 18 first-half points off the Dream’s turnovers and only allowed one point on their turnovers.

“For us to lock in on defense, it’s so key for what we do, and it’s something we can control,” Wilson said. “That is the key, when we’re locked in on the defensive end. It’s huge, and it fuels our offense.”

Atlanta’s second-quarter mistakes proved costly as the Aces began to pull away before halftime.

The Aces scored 14 points off five Dream second-quarter turnovers. The Aces made 7 of 9 3-pointers in the quarter to lead 54-43 at halftime.

3. Gray’s show-stopping passes

Gray, a five-time All-Star and 2022 WNBA Finals MVP, is becoming synonymous with her highlight-reel passing.

After neither team created much separation in the first quarter, with three ties and three lead changes, Gray found her teammates to help the Aces find their footing.

On back-to-back possessions late in the quarter, Gray dropped two passes into the post to a driving Wilson, who converted on both scoring opportunities.

Gray’s best moment wasn’t a pass. Driving to the basket with less than a minute remaining in the quarter, Gray faked a behind-the-back pass to Alysha Clark, confusing the Dream defender, and went to the basket for the layup.

“That’s what everyone loves to see,” Wilson said of Gray’s passes. “That’s the entertainment and that’s what we love to d0. … That’s just the juice that comes with it. We like to have fun, and we compete really hard.”

Gray had five first-quarter assists. She finished with 10 points and seven assists.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on Twitter.