This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Jackie Young scored 26 points as the visiting Las Vegas Aces overcame an 11-point deficit to push their season-high win streak to four games, beating the Washington Mystics 88-77 on Saturday.
Chelsea Gray added 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting and Tiffany Hayes delivered 17 off the bench for the Aces (10-6), who outscored the Mystics 21-8 in the fourth quarter.
Las Vegas center A’ja Wilson, who entered Saturday averaging a WNBA-high 28.0 points per game, was held to a season-low 11 points. It was her first time under 21 points in a game this season.
Four of Wilson’s points did come during a 9-2 run that turned a tie game into an 82-75 Aces lead with 4:08 to play. Wilson grabbed a game-high nine rebounds for Las Vegas, which maintained at least a five-point cushion down the stretch.
Stefanie Dolson led Washington (4-15) with 23 points and went 5 of 6 from 3-point range. Myisha Hines-Allen scored 14 points to complement Ariel Atkins’ 13.
Mystics rookie Aaliyah Edwards scored nine points and matched Dolson’s seven rebounds in her return after missing three games with a back injury.
Washington went 11 of 24 from 3-point range but hit just one on eight tries in the second half. The Aces made nine more free throws on 14 more attempts and flipped 14 Mystics turnovers into 23 points.
The Mystics bombarded the Aces from long distance early, making 10 3-pointers on 16 attempts to build a 52-46 halftime lead.
Dolson drilled all four of her 3-point attempts in the opening half, including three that propelled Washington ahead 28-20 entering the second quarter.
Young hit three first-half treys for Las Vegas, which went 7 of 15 from distance in the opening 20 minutes.
Young’s deep ball midway through the second quarter pulled the Aces within 35-34 before the Mystics hit three more 3 pointers to open a 46-35 lead.
Las Vegas inched closer behind Young, who added six points in the second quarter’s final 3:07 and finished the first half with 19.
The Aces found momentum in the third quarter through Gray, who hit two threes amid a 12-2 run that slid Las Vegas ahead 60-59 halfway through the period.
Washington responded behind Dolson, whose fifth 3-pointer closed a 10-2 surge that swung the Mystics back up 69-62.
Gray’s three free throws at the end of the quarter left the Aces down 69-67 entering the final quarter.
–Field Level Media
