Las Vegas, NV—-In Friday night’s WNBA action, the Las Vegas Aces secured a playoff berth by defeating the Atlanta Dream 83-72
A’ja Wilson tallied 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Tiffany Hayes contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds. Kelsey Plum added 18 points and four assists for the Aces, who are now tied with the Seattle Storm for fourth place in the WNBA standings with a record of 18-12.
For the Dream, Allisha Gray scored 17 points, but the team suffered their fourth consecutive loss. Despite Rhyne Howard’s 23 points, the Dream fell short in their efforts. The Aces’ Chelsea Gray played a crucial role in the closing minutes, scoring four points and making a critical steal to secure the victory.
Hayes scored 10 points in the first quarter to help the Aces take a 22-18 lead and Wilson had 14 by the break when Las Vegas made it 44-38.
Wilson drained two foul shots with 1:56 remaining in the game to cut Las Vegas’ deficit to two. Atlanta missed a shot and then fouled Jackie Young with 1:25 left to play. Young made 1 of 2 to get the Aces within 71-70 but Atlanta held them off at the foul line in the final minute. The Dream couldn’t stop Wilson at the post which was the difference of the game.
Overall, the Aces’ strong performance led to a hard-fought victory, earning them a well-deserved spot in the playoffs.