LAS VEGAS, NV — A’ja Wilson delivered a dominant performance with 38 points, tying her personal playoff best, as the Las Vegas Aces edged out the Seattle Storm 74-73 on Thursday night to punch their ticket to the WNBA semifinals.
Wilson exploded for 25 points in the second half alone, but the game came down to the wire. With 25 seconds to go, Wilson’s layup attempt spun out, leading to a fast break by Seattle. Erica Wheeler took control, pulling up for a clutch jumper in the lane to give the Storm a 73-72 lead with just 18 seconds left.
On the next possession, Wilson missed again, but Jackie Young was in perfect position for the follow-up, tipping in the go-ahead basket with 12.4 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Seattle advanced the ball and got a clean look—Wheeler’s mid-range jumper from the free throw line hit the back of the rim. The Storm couldn’t get off another shot as time expired.
With the win, the second-seeded Aces advance to their seventh straight semifinal appearance. They’ll face No. 6 seed Indiana on Sunday, after the Fever knocked out Atlanta.
Young added 14 points for Las Vegas, while Chelsea Gray contributed 12 points and dished out eight assists. Wilson was nearly unstoppable, shooting 14-of-26 from the floor and 10-of-11 at the free throw line. Her sixth playoff game with at least 30 points ties her for the second-most in league history.
For Seattle, Nneka Ogwumike tallied 16 points—14 of them coming after halftime. Wheeler also scored 16, and Skylar Diggins finished with 13.
Diggins had briefly given the Storm the lead with a wide-open corner three with 1:14 to play, making it 71-70—their first lead since early in the second quarter. But Wilson quickly answered on the next possession, scoring in the lane to put the Aces back in front before the final flurry.
