Aces open homestand with big win over Valkyries

The Las Vegas Aces commenced their first three-game homestand of the season with a decisive 92-73 win over the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, led by a well-balanced effort that saw five players reach double figures in scoring.

Jackie Young paced the Aces with 21 points, finishing 9-of-12 from the field overall and 3-of-6 from 3-point range. A'ja Wilson finished with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, while Chelsea Gray chipped in 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and added nine assists.

Beyond the Aces' "Big Three," Na'Lyssa Smith added 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and Jewell Loyd added 14 points off the bench with four 3-pointers.

Las Vegas (12-4) shot 62.1% from the field (36 of 58) and 45.8% from the arc (11 of 24).

The win pushes the Aces' record to 7-1 in June, a mark matched only by the first-place Minnesota Lynx this month. Ironically, it was the Aces who handed the Lynx that lone loss in a 100-97 barnburner on June 13.

Cecelia Zandalisini led the Valkyries (10-7) with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Gabby Williams scored 10 points on a less efficient 4-of-11 from the field. Kaitlyn Chen added double figures off the bench for the second time in three games with 11 points.

The Aces led by as many as 28 points in the third quarter, in large part because of a huge second-quarter rally to propel the rest of their dominant effort.

After trailing 26-25 with 8:04 remaining in the second quarter, the Aces outscored the Valkyries 25-4 for the remainder of the half to bring a 50-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Young led all scorers with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Williams and Zandalisini led the Valkyries with eight points apiece, but the rest of Golden State's starting lineup combined for just two points before halftime.

The Aces pulled out to a 23-17 lead after the first quarter, holding the Valkyries without a made 3-pointer on seven attempts in the frame. The Valkyries went just 1-of-15 from 3-point range throughout the half as a whole but did improve slightly in the second half to finish 5-of-30.

--Field Level Media