Aces set franchise records in blowout win over Atlanta Dream
The fireworks show on the Las Vegas Strip wasn’t supposed to start Sunday until 11 p.m. The Aces brought their own fireworks, though, to Michelob Ultra Arena at 3 p.m.
Las Vegas produced the most prolific offensive performance in team history, setting a single-game franchise record for points in a 118-95 victory over the visiting Atlanta Dream. Kelsey Plum continued her career year by leading six double-figure scorers with 23 points. A’ja Wilson added 19 points and nine rebounds.
Dearica Hamby had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Liz Cambage added 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Aces (14-4) shot 59.7 percent from the field, their highest in a single game in their four years in Las Vegas. They also made 43 field goals, another franchise record.
“This team is just so deep, and on any given night, anything can happen,” said Plum, who added eight assists and is averaging a career-high 13.3 points per game. “It’s a luxury.”
Las Vegas had led the WNBA in offensive rating for most of the season, but fell to second Friday after a lackluster outing during a 66-58 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. But rest assured, the Aces have the most potent offense in the league — and were better than ever against the Dream.
Cambage, Hamby and Wilson powered a 43-28 rebounding advantage, thus igniting what Aces coach Bill Laimbeer believes is the WNBA’s best transition offense. Everything clicked in the halfcourt, too, including pick-and-roll plays that allowed Plum, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young to read defensive coverages and attack Atlanta (6-11) accordingly.
Wilson and Cambage feasted as rollers and in the low post. And everybody made the extra pass, allowing for open shots or attacks against late closeouts.
As a result, the Aces totaled a season-high 31 assists.
“That’s the good thing about our offense, we have a lot of different options,” Young said after scoring 16 points. “If they take away one thing, we know we have our second option. If they take away our second option, we know we have our third option. We’re able to just play basketball and just read the defense and play out of that.”
Laimbeer said he’d rather win a shootout than win a rock fight like the Aces did Friday against the Sparks. That said, he still expressed disappointment in the team’s defense.
The 95 points Atlanta scored are the second most Las Vegas has allowed in a game this season. But those were more a byproduct of the torrid pace than defensive breakdowns.
Either way, a win is a win.
“In a game like this, we’re outscoring them,” Laimbeer said. “We’re hard to guard. We’re hard to stop. … Everybody got a chance to play. Everybody got some minutes. Everybody got a chance to score.”
Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.
