Jackie Young's late putback helps Aces survive Storm, advance to semifinals

A'ja Wilson matched her career playoff high of 38 points and Jackie Young scored the decisive points on a putback as the Las Vegas Aces edged the visiting Seattle Storm 74-73 on Thursday night to win the best-of-three first-round series.

Young had 14 points and followed Wilson's miss with a basket with 12.4 seconds left to help the second-seeded Aces escape in Game 3. Chelsea Gray added 12 points and eight assists for Las Vegas.

Erica Wheeler and Nneka Ogwumike scored 16 points apiece for the seventh-seeded Storm. Skylar Diggins added 13 points and six assists.

The Aces will face the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever in the best-of-five semifinals after the Fever stunned the No. 3 seed Atlanta Dream earlier in the night.

Wheeler had a chance to give Seattle a shocking upset but her 15-foot jumper missed with just over four seconds left. The Storm got the rebound and eventually the ball was passed to Gabby Williams in the corner but she didn't get her jumper -- which missed -- off before time expired.

Wilson had three steals and made 14 of 26 shots and 10 of 11 from the free-throw line in her latest stellar effort. It marks her sixth career 30-point effort in the postseason.

Wheeler drove in transition, jumped inside the free-throw line and knocked down a jumper to give Seattle a 73-72 lead with 19.3 seconds remaining.

Wilson's shot on the other end bounced off the rim but Young was in good position to make the key putback.

Ogwumike buried a 3-pointer with 2:40 remaining and Wheeler added two free throws 20 seconds later to knot the score at 66.

Young's layup put the Aces back ahead with 2:05 remaining. Ogwumike knocked down two free throws 13 seconds later to tie it at 68.

Wilson made two free throws to give Las Vegas a 70-68 lead with 1:33 left. But Diggins made a wide-open trey to put Seattle ahead 18 seconds later, giving the Storm their first advantage since 24-23 in the second quarter.

Wilson's inside basket put Las Vegas back ahead at 72-71 with 1:03 to go.

The Aces shot 45.9 percent from the field, including 3-of-12 from 3-point range.

The Storm connected on 40 percent of their attempts and were 7-of-18 from behind the arc.

Wilson's basket capped a 5-0 run in the third quarter as Las Vegas opened up a 50-42 lead with 1:37 left.

Seattle pulled within 52-48 on Ezi Magbebor's basket with 2.3 seconds remaining. Brittney Sykes opened the fourth quarter with a driving basket to pull the Storm within two points.

Sykes later converted a three-point play as Seattle crept within 58-57 with 6:50 to go.

Wilson scored 13 points in the first half as the Aces led 33-26 at the break.

Seattle shot just 29 percent (9 of 31) in the first half, including a woeful 2 of 13 while scoring just seven second-quarter points.

--Field Level Media