Aces 80, Lynx 66: Wilson’s 29 Points, 15 Boards Power Champs to Big Win (2024)

The Minnesota Lynx returned to Target Center on Wednesday night to welcome the two-time defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.

It was an ugly start to the game as neither team was able to get into a rhythm offensively. Despite this, MVP finalist and Lynx star Napheesa Collier still found a way to display her elite two-way ability. She was doing a lot of scoring and rebounding for Minnesota while guarding two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson on the defensive end. After Collier and Courtney Williams combined to score the first 10 points of the game for Minnesota, they received a boost off the bench from Ceci Zandalasani who hit two triples in the last two minutes of the frame. Both teams struggled offensively but a Wilson bucket at the end of the quarter gave the Aces an 18-16 advantage after 10 minutes.

After the Lynx tied the game at 16 late in the first, the Aces went on an extended 7-0 run into the second quarter before another 3-pointer from Zandalasani, her third of the game, more than the two she had made in her first five outings. The Italian wing ended the half with 9 points going 3/4 from beyond the arc. The pace sped up after a slugging start as both teams found their scoring midway through the second. The Lynx forced a timeout after back-to back 3-pointers put them back in front 31-30 with 5:29 remaining in the second; this capped a 10-2 run from the 7:52 mark in the quarter. After this run, the Lynx went cold and allowed the Aces to rattle off a 13-3 run to end the half. Great defense from Minnesota was neutralized by their carelessness with the ball as they turned it over way too much in the first two quarters.

The second half started back-and-forth with the Lynx not able to get any traction to cut the deficit. A couple of steals gave Minnesota some life but the Aces shotmaking prevailed, holding the lead at nine. Halfway through the quarter, Las Vegas led 52-43. After cutting the lead to one with their defense and Collier scoring nine points, Minnesota allowed a Kate Martin 3-pointer and a Wilson buzzer-beating layup to bring the lead back up to six entering the final frame.

The Lynx started the quarter ice cold with just two points in the first three-and-a-half-minutes. The champs were able to capitalize and increased their lead to 12 before a timeout from Minnesota. Cold shooting from the Lynx continued as the Aces rained down 3s and increased the lead to 77-61 with 4:33 remaining in the fourth, essentially ending it there. The lid never came off the rim for the Lynx as they scored just 10 points in the fourth quarter and the Aces cruised to victory.

Minnesota scored 24 points off of 16 Vegas turnovers, but gave it away 17 times themselves, something they couldn’t have on a night they shot just 36.9% from the floor.

Key Takeaways

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Paint Domination

The Lynx were dominated in the paint in this matchup. Las Vegas outscored Minnesota 32-18 inside and completely controlled the game close to the hoop. Wilson got going and the Lynx could not do much to contain her, especially in the second half. The paint disparity in the first half was offset by Minnesota’s hot outside shooting but Las Vegas ended up making more 3-pointers while also scoring more on the inside, a tough combination to recover from. The Aces have a great offense, and while there were times that Minnesota was able to bother the three-headed monster of Wilson, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum on that end of the floor, those three shotmakers proved to be too much for the Lynx.

Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images

An M’VP Performance

Wilson was a force to be reckoned with in this one. She tallied 29 points and 15 rebounds as she led the charge inside the arc. She is one of the best players in the WNBA and gave Minnesota problems the entire evening. While she was not the most efficient in terms of her shooting (11/23 from the field) she was able to get buckets that helped the Aces hold their lead for the majority of the game, often doing so in a momentum-swinging ways that started and extended Aces runs. The Lynx’s defensive combination of Phee guarding her and double teams coming from all over the floor was not enough to be able to stop Wilson in this one.

An Ice Cold Fourth Quarter

After cutting it close at points in the third, Minnesota was not able to build on that momentum in the fourth quarter. They scored just 10 points in the final act as Las Vegas destroyed their chances down the stretch. A 15-5 run that dominated the first seven minutes of the quarter all but ended the comeback in its tracks. Minnesota had their chances but could not convert to get back into the game. Even when they forced turnovers it seemed that Vegas was always one step ahead. They hit backbreaking shots that became even worse when the Lynx couldn’t convert on the other end.

Up Next

The Lynx will continue their homestand on Friday night as they welcome Kahleah Copper and the new-look Phoenix Mercury to Target Center for another clash with a talented offense.

Fans can catch the 8:30 PM CT tip on ION.

Highlights