Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Las Vegas Aces face the Portland Fire tonight with their hold on the top WNBA spot on the line.
- One of the league's biggest stars, A'ja Wilson, remains questionable after a recent ankle injury that has kept her off the court.
- The team's next decision on the star's availability could define their short-term momentum and long-term health strategy.
The Las Vegas Aces have been flip-flopping with the Minnesota Lynx for the No. 1 spot in the WNBA standings for the past few weeks. As of last night, the Lynx have reclaimed the sacred spot with their 16th win. Tonight, the Aces look to get their 16th win against the Portland Fire — but they could be doing it without 4-time MVP and the league's leading scorer, A'ja Wilson.
Wilson has sat out of the two regular-season games — three if you include the Commissioner's Cup Final. The Aces have gone 1-2 during that stint, most recently suffering an 84-68 loss to the Indiana Fever. While Vegas' backcourt trio of guards has been fairly consistent in picking up some weight, the frontcourt has had its moments of success while falling short sometimes.
Tonight, the Aces look to get back on track in Portland. Here's the rundown of Wilson and the team's current status.
A'ja Wilson is questionable tonight for Aces vs. Fire
There is a chance Wilson misses her fourth straight game tonight. This injury came against the Chicago Sky on June 28, after she rolled her right ankle. Head Coach Becky Hammon described the injury as "day-to-day." She also stated, "She's tough... I want to protect her as much as possible. She really wants to play, and we're not going to rush."
I'm not sure if coming off a loss to the Fever will influence Wilson's availability tonight. This is a team that definitely does not want to drop two games in a row. But on the other hand, risking Wilson's health for the rest of the season would be much more detrimental. We'll have to see what is decided tonight, but for now, let's assume Wilson sits out against the Fire.
Projected Aces starting line-up without Wilson
STARTER | POSITION | BENCH |
|---|---|---|
Chelsea Gray | PG | |
Jackie Young | SG | Cheyenne Parker-Tyus |
Jewell Loyd | SF | Kierstan Bell |
Stephanie Talbot | PF | Brianna Turner |
Nalyssa Smith | C | Cheyenne Parker-Tyus |
As you can see, the Aces' bench does not run very deep with volume scorers — especially as the team waived Chennedy Carter, their top bench producer, this week. The team did start Jewell Loyd in their last matchup, but Stephanie Talbot typically starts — it depends on whether they want a bigger or smaller lineup, I suppose.
In the loss to Indiana, the Aces frontcourt, without Wilson, was not able to win the rebound battle or produce much. Consistent starter Nalyssa Smith put up 9 points and 10 rebounds. Wilson's replacement, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, put up 9 points and 0 rebounds. But this is not necessarily a reflection of them. During the win against Chicago without Wilson, Smith stepped up in a big way — she finished the night with 29 points and 8 rebounds.
In the Aces' first matchup against the Portland Fire, they walked away with a 105-89 win — with a lot of thanks to Wilson, who put up 32 points and 5 rebounds. If she's unavailable tonight, Las Vegas will have to find a way to recreate that type of production. Expect a lot of that to come from the Aces guards, especially Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. The Fire allow the third-most 3-pointers from their opponents per game across the league. We know that Gray and Young have the shooting ability to take advantage of that — they might have to if Smith and Parker-Tyus can't get anything going inside the paint. Although the Fire do not rebound well: they actually sit at dead last in the league — another thing that falls in the Aces' favor.
Even without Wilson, the Aces should be able to manage against this Fire squad. But this game is being played in Portland and that crowd knows how to get rowdy for their home team. The Fire have also been known to fight back late in games, especially when they're considered the underdog.
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