The Las Vegas Aces already have clinched a spot in the WNBA playoffs. The Aces will hit the road Sunday to face the Phoenix Mercury, who are in the hunt for their own playoff berth.
Four playoff spots already have been claimed, heading into play Saturday, with four more up for grabs. The Mercury (16-16) currently are qualified for one of those four remaining spots.
It is the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the teams. Las Vegas (19-12) has won two of the three and most recently defeated the Mercury 103-99 in Phoenix on June 13. Las Vegas’ Jackie Young scored a career-high 34 points and A’ja Wilson added 32 in the win.
The Aces trailed by 16 points after the first quarter but made all 10 of their shots from 3-point range in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 54-51 lead.
On Tuesday, Wilson scored 42 points in a 93-90 road loss to the Dallas Wings. She had 26 points and 16 rebounds in the Aces’ 83-72 win over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night.
That win clinched a playoff spot for Las Vegas, the two-time defending WNBA champion.
“Obviously, with the season that we’re having now, we always love some good news, but the job is not done,” Wilson said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
In Phoenix’s last meeting against Las Vegas, Brittney Griner had 25 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix, with Diana Taurasi adding 22 points and Kahleah Copper 18.
Wilson is the WNBA’s leading scorer at 27.0 points per game and is second in the league in rebounds at 11.8. Copper’s 22.3 points per game lead the Mercury and are tied for second highest in the league.
The Mercury have lost two straight games against a pair of the top teams in the league in the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx. Key Phoenix role player Sophie Cunningham was ejected with two technical fouls in an 89-76 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday.
“We’re in a rut right now, I think that’s no secret,” Cunningham said, according to the Arizona Republic “Everyone can see it. Teams go through it. I think you embrace it, and you find light in that and ways to be better for one another.”
–Field Level Media