Las Vegas Aces v Seattle Storm - Image Source: Getty
In a one-sided showing, the Las Vegas Aces crushed the Seattle Storm, 102-77, in Game 1 of their first-round series Sunday, moving within one win of the WNBA semifinals while carrying their scorching streak into the postseason.
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The No. 2 seed Aces, who entered the playoffs as the hottest team in the league with 16 straight victories, stretched their run to 17 by overpowering the No. 7 Storm.
A’ja Wilson dominated with 29 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 30 minutes. Jackie Young added 18 points, seven assists and five boards, while Jewell Loyd and Dana Evans chipped in 14 and 13, respectively, off the bench.
NaLyssa Smith controlled the paint with 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, as the Aces shot 50.7 percent overall and 48.3 percent from long range to secure the lopsided win.
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Seattle struggled through a disastrous first half but found some rhythm after the break, though the deficit was too much to erase. Gabby Williams led the Storm with 16 points, while Skylar Diggins and rookie Dominique Malonga finished with 12 apiece.
Below is the box score and breakdown of the game.
Seattle Storm vs Las Vegas Aces box score
Seattle Storm player stats
Player
MIN
PTS
REB
AST
FGM
FGA
FG%
3PM
3PA
3P%
FTM
FTA
FT%
OREB
DREB
TOV
STL
BLK
PF
=+/-
Gabby Williams SF
26:53
16
3
2
8
13
61.5
0
2
0.0
0
0
-
0
3
3
1
0
0
-22
Nneka Ogwumike PF
27:00
11
8
3
5
10
50.0
1
3
33.3
0
0
-
1
7
3
0
0
2
-33
Ezi Magbegor C
24:21
2
3
2
1
2
50.0
0
0
-
0
1
0.0
1
2
0
0
1
3
-14
Brittney Sykes SG
16:18
0
2
1
0
3
0.0
0
0
-
0
0
-
0
2
5
0
0
5
-17
Skylar Diggins PG
26:23
12
2
2
4
11
36.4
2
3
66.7
2
3
66.7
1
1
0
0
0
3
-22
Erica Wheeler
24:35
10
2
1
4
11
36.4
1
5
20.0
1
1
100
1
1
0
1
0
2
-21
Dominique Malonga
23:40
12
11
1
4
11
36.4
2
2
100
2
2
100
4
7
0
2
1
3
-10
Tiffany Mitchell
11:46
6
1
2
2
4
50.0
0
1
0.0
2
2
100
0
1
0
0
0
2
-1
Zia Cooke
07:28
3
0
1
1
3
33.3
0
0
-
1
2
50.0
0
0
1
0
0
0
4
Lexie Brown
06:37
5
1
0
2
3
66.7
1
2
50.0
0
0
-
0
1
0
0
0
0
4
Mackenzie Holmes
04:59
0
1
0
0
0
-
0
0
-
0
0
-
0
1
0
0
0
0
7
Katie Lou Samuelson
00:00
0
0
0
0
0
-
0
0
-
0
0
-
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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Las Vegas Aces player stats
Player
MIN
PTS
REB
AST
FGM
FGA
FG%
3:00 PM
3PA
3P%
FTM
FTA
FT%
OREB
DREB
TOV
STL
BLK
PF
#ERROR!
Kierstan Bell SF
14:48
5
1
0
2
6
33.3
1
5
20
0
0
-
0
1
0
0
0
1
-2
A'ja Wilson PF
30:17:00
29
8
2
10
18
55.6
1
2
50
8
10
80
0
8
3
3
2
4
29
NaLyssa Smith C
25:24:00
11
9
1
4
6
66.7
0
0
-
3
6
50
3
6
0
0
2
0
21
Jackie Young SG
27:54:00
18
5
7
6
9
66.7
4
6
66.7
2
2
100
2
3
4
4
0
3
26
Chelsea Gray PG
27:29:00
5
4
6
1
4
25
1
2
50
2
2
100
1
3
1
3
0
2
23
Jewell Loyd
25:44:00
14
3
1
5
9
55.6
3
6
50
1
1
100
1
2
0
0
1
2
30
Dana Evans
22:40
13
4
6
5
11
45.5
3
6
50
0
0
-
1
3
0
0
0
2
9
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus
10:47
7
2
0
3
3
100
1
1
100
0
0
-
2
0
1
0
1
4
10
Aaliyah Nye
4:59
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
-
0
0
-
0
1
0
0
0
0
-7
Megan Gustafson
04:59
0
2
0
0
3
0.0
0
1
0.0
0
0
-
1
1
0
0
0
0
-7
Kiah Stokes
04:59
0
0
0
0
0
-
0
0
-
0
0
-
0
0
0
0
0
1
-7
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Seattle Storm vs Las Vegas Aces: Game recap
Las Vegas opened on fire with a 15-5 burst, closing the first quarter ahead 22-12.
In the second frame, the Aces clamped down defensively, holding Seattle to just 13 points while nearly doubling the margin for a 45-25 halftime cushion.
Wilson was in MVP form with 16 points before the break, while Smith asserted herself inside with eight points and six rebounds.
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For Seattle, Nneka Ogwumike scored nine and Erica Wheeler had eight, but starters Ezi Magbegor, Brittney Sykes and Diggins were shut out in the opening half.
The Storm rediscovered their offense in the third quarter, but Las Vegas stayed aggressive, winning the period 31-27. The fourth was closer, but the Aces still edged it 26-25 to seal the victory.
Despite the blowout score, the team stats looked more even: the Aces narrowly won the battle of the boards (39-35), assists (23-15), fastbreak points (15-14) and points off turnovers (21-12). But the real difference came in shot-making, where Las Vegas was far more efficient.
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About the author
John Ezekiel Hirro
John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.
He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.
A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.
He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.