Las Vegas, NV— A’ja Wilson made a strong return from injury with a dominant performance, and Jackie Young closed the game with a clutch scoring burst as the Las Vegas Aces held off the Golden State Valkyries 104-102 on Saturday in a tightly contested showdown.
Wilson led all scorers with 34 points and added 16 rebounds, shooting an efficient 12-of-16 from the field and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line. After missing time with a wrist injury earlier in the week, the reigning MVP looked sharp in her return to the lineup.
Young took over late, scoring the Aces’ final 10 points. With the game tied at 94 and just under two minutes left, Young hit a mid-range jumper to give Las Vegas the lead, then followed with a driving layup. She went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line over the final three possessions, finishing the night with 30 points and a perfect 11-for-11 mark from the stripe.
Golden State refused to back down. Cecilia Zandalasini nailed a three-pointer with 17 seconds left, and Tiffany Hayes followed with another from deep with seven seconds remaining to make it 102-100. Young’s final free throws pushed the lead to four, and Kayla Thornton’s long two at the buzzer brought the Valkyries within two.
Las Vegas shot 30-of-35 from the free-throw line, with Young and Wilson accounting for 20 of those makes.
Jewell Loyd added 15 points for the Aces (10-11), who snapped a rough stretch in which they’d lost three of their last four.
Golden State (10-10), playing in Las Vegas for the first time as an expansion team, had all five starters score in double figures. Hayes and Janelle Salaun led the way with 16 points apiece, while Temi Fagbenle chipped in 13. Veronica Burton had 11, and Thornton added 10. Zandalasini came off the bench to contribute 12 points.
The game also marked a return to familiar ground for Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, who previously served as an assistant for the Aces during their championship runs in 2022 and 2023.
Up Next:
Golden State hosts the Phoenix Mercury on Monday.
Las Vegas travels to face the Dallas Wings on Wednesday.
