The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Atlanta Dream 81-75 on Wednesday at Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Georgia.
A'ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 34 points, nine rebounds and four blocks on 13-for-21 shooting, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range. Chelsea Gray added 14 points and five assists on 5-for-11 shooting (3-for-5 on 3-pointers), while Jewell Loyd contributed 14 points off the bench.
Jackie Young recorded her second triple-double performance this season, finishing with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on 5-for-10 shooting.
Rhyne Howard had 19 points, four rebounds and seven assists on 7-for-22 shooting. Brionna Jones finished with 19 points and six rebounds on 9-for-13 shooting. Allisha Gray added 15 points and five rebounds on 6-for-17 shooting. Naz Hillmon chipped in seven points and 15 rebounds.
Both teams sit atop the WNBA standings at No. 2 and No. 3. With the win, Las Vegas improved to 26-14 and took sole possession of the second seed. Atlanta dropped to 24-14 and is now one game behind the Aces. The Dream need one more win to clinch a playoff berth.
The Aces extended their winning streak to 12 games, the longest active streak in the WNBA. Meanwhile, the Dream's two-game winning streak was snapped.
Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream player stats and box score
Atlanta Dream player stats and box score
Las Vegas Aces player stats and box score
Las Vegas Aces vs. Atlanta Dream game summary
The Atlanta Dream had a 19-16 lead over the Las Vegas Aces at the end of the opening quarter. Atlanta led by as many as eight points in the second period. The Dream had a 42-40 lead at halftime.
Brionna Jones led Atlanta in the first half with 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Rhyne Howard added eight points. A'ja Wilson led Las Vegas with 16 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the first half. Chelsea Gray chipped in seven points and four assists.
Las Vegas outscored Atlanta 21-6 in the third period. The Aces went on a 15-1 run to close the quarter and led 61-48 heading into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, Atlanta trimmed Las Vegas' lead to single digits several times. Down the stretch, Te-Hina Paopao's 3-point shot cut the lead to three (73-70) with about a minute remaining. However, the Aces held on for the big win.
Atlanta will next face the Dallas Wings on Friday. Meanwhile, Las Vegas will return to action on Sept. 4 against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.