Back at home, Las Vegas was scary. Playing its first home game of the season, Las Vegas dominated in a one-sided return matchup with Los Angeles, which had been in a tight game two nights earlier.
The Las Vegas Aces cruised to a 93-65 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2023 WNBA Regular Season at Mitchell Robb Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada, 안전놀이터 on Nov. 28 (ET). With their third straight win, Las Vegas moved into sole possession of first place in the standings, while Los Angeles fell to 1-2 and dropped one spot to eighth place.
The defending champs’ transformation into a superteam was on full display. Prior to tipoff, Las Vegas performed a championship ring ceremony to honor head coach Becky Hammon, who returned from suspension with a perfect victory.
Despite playing the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter on the bench, the team scored 90+ points for the third straight game to open the season. Defensively, they had 16 steals and stifled LA on offense.
Las Vegas opened the game with a 14-2 run on back-to-back baskets by Eiza Wilson, free throws by Candace Parker, a three-pointer by Jackie Young, a steal by Kelsey Plum and a three-pointer by Chelsea Gray. Las Vegas, which scored all of its starters in the opening four minutes, rattled LA with a series of steals on offense and defense.
Despite a strong performance from Nkeka Ogumike, LA was unable to handle Las Vegas, who outplayed their opponents in terms of overall energy after taking control of the game. Las Vegas led 31-13 at the end of the first quarter after Plum hit a three-pointer with two seconds left in the first quarter, then stole the ball from LA on a careless baseline pass and drove to the basket for a buzzer-beating jumper.
In the second quarter, the gap widened. Joyner Holmes hit a 3-pointer and Karlie Samuelson scored, but Wilson’s all-around play and Young and Plum’s fast breaks kept Las Vegas in the game. Parker and Plum hit 3-pointers, and Wilson harassed LA with a basket.
Gray capped off the second quarter with a long-range three-pointer, and Las Vegas hit buzzer beaters in both the first and second quarters to take a 59-28, double-digit lead into halftime.
Las Vegas, which recorded 10 steals and forced 12 opponent turnovers in the first half alone, saw Wilson (19 points), Plum (14) and Young (10) score in double figures already in the first half.
Without Chiney Ogumike, Leisha Clarendon and Jordyn Canada, who all missed the game two nights earlier, Los Angeles was short-handed and outmanned against the defending champions, who were energized by Nka Ogumike’s minutes.
LA fought back in the third quarter with a Samuelson three-pointer and baskets from Ogumike and Derricka Hamby. But it didn’t change the score much.
Las Vegas responded with a basket by Wilson, a three-pointer by Elissa Clark and a jumper by Plum. The game remained one-sided, with Wilson and Stokes blocking attempts by Gia Cook and Nia Clauden for fastbreak layups.
With the lead still hovering around the 30-point mark, Las Vegas felt comfortable getting Kiersten Bell and Kayla George, who hadn’t seen much playing time, into the game early and closed out the third quarter with a 79-51 lead.
Las Vegas ran the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter with Sydney Coulson-Clarke-Bell-George-Stokes with no substitutions. With 10 roster spots on the night, LA was able to afford to bring in all of its starters and fill the lineup with backups. The game was already tilted in their favor. Las Vegas won.
Both teams used every player on the roster, every player played at least 10 minutes, and every player scored. No player played more than 27 minutes for Las Vegas.