Aces finish earthquake-suspended game, lose to Mystics
The longest halftime in WNBA history concluded Monday night with the national anthem, the announcement of the starting lineups and the eventual continuation for the Aces of their suspended game against the Washington Mystics.
Different date. Different arena. Same inevitable result.
The Aces completed their game against Washington at T-Mobile Arena, falling 99-70 after trailing 51-36 at halftime on July 5 when an earthquake at Mandalay Bay Events Center forced a postponement.
Kelsey Plum scored a team-high 17 points and Dearica Hamby added eight points and five rebounds for the Aces, who once again struggled to guard a healthy Washington outfit rife with the chemistry they’re still working to develop.
“We’re playing in a different building, but OK, it is what it is,” Ace coach Bill Laimbeer said. “Overall, (we got to) get this behind us so it doesn’t linger until the end of the season.”
Liz Cambage technically scored 12 points for the Aces, but all those were on July 6. She sat out Monday as part of a maintenance program and didn’t attend the game, either, though Laimbeer confirmed her absence as excused.
The Aces (15-8) without Cambage and A’ja Wilson — who is recovering from a sprained ankle — were outmatched against against the mighty Mystics (15-7), and their ball and player movement.
They passed, screened and cut their way to a 19-point lead in the third quarter, and then stymied a brief Aces run with consecutive 3-pointers from Natasha Cloud and Elena Della Donne and a pair of free throws from LaToya Sanders.
“It was weird. I’ve been playing basketball since I was 5 years old. Never had anything like this happen. It felt like pickup,” Aces guard Kayla McBride said of the resumption. “Starting a game when we’re down 15 is a weird dynamic, but it is what it is. … Give them a lot of credit.”
Plum’s play was perhaps the lone positive for the Aces amid one of their worst outings to date. She made three 3-pointers and attacked the rim with a purpose en route to one of her best statistical performances.
Laimbeer was pleased with her play, and Plum said she’s hoping to build on it.
“Obviously, being down 15, you try and be extra aggressive to make something happen,” Plum said. “I can definitely take that into next game just realizing that we’ll be more aggressive from the jump.”
Delle Donne led Washington with 21 points.
Aces to bring back Nared
The Aces are signing Jaime Nared to a seven-day contract, according to a person familiar with the transaction. They drafted the 6-foot-2-inch wing in the second round of the 2018 draft, and she averaged 2.5 points in 31 games last season.
Nared was among the final cuts during training camp in May.
She attended the game Monday.
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.