A record-tying opening quarter
Jackie Young matched the WNBA record for points in a quarter by scoring 22 in the first period, and she went on to post a career-high 35 points as the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Seattle Storm 114-77 on Thursday night. The game was Las Vegas's first since the FIBA World Cup break. Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, shot 8 of 9 from the field, 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and 3 of 3 at the free-throw line. She now shares the quarter mark with Jewell Loyd, Brittney Sykes and Diana Taurasi.[S1]
Aces roll behind Wilson and a season-best offense
A'ja Wilson contributed 29 points for the Aces, who produced their highest-scoring outing since setting a franchise record in a 118-95 victory over Atlanta on July 4, 2021. With the win, Las Vegas improved to 28-13 and moved within 1 1/2 games of second-place Golden State while holding a one-game edge over Atlanta in the WNBA standings. The top four teams receive home-court advantage in the best-of-three opening round of the playoffs.[S1]
Seattle's struggles continue
Flau'jae Johnson paced Seattle with 25 points, while Natisha Hiedeman chipped in 12 points and seven assists. Stefanie Dolson scored 11 points and Dominique Malonga added 10. The Storm, who sit at the bottom of the WNBA with an 8-33 record, have dropped five of their last six games. Las Vegas will host Seattle again on Sunday, while the Storm travel to Golden State on Saturday.[S1]
