The Chicago Sky recently upset the reigning WNBA champions, but pulling off the same feat against the sizzling Las Vegas Aces figures to be a much taller order.
The Aces bring a 10-game winning streak into Monday night’s game against the host Sky.
Las Vegas (24-14) has gone from a middling squad to a potential second-place finisher in regular-season play. The Aces stand a half-game behind Atlanta for second after Saturday’s 91-81 victory at Washington. They overcame an early 15-point deficit as superstar A’ja Wilson piled up 36 points and 13 rebounds.
It was Las Vegas’ fourth double-digit victory during an unbeaten run that began after an 111-58 home loss versus league-leading Minnesota on Aug. 2.
“We’re figuring out how to win together,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “Every season is a process, and some seasons start tougher and harder than others. … They stayed the course; they dug in with each other.”
Following her 19th double-double of the season, Wilson has averaged 30.2 points in the last five games and 13.8 boards in the last eight.
The three season meetings between Las Vegas and Chicago (9-27) will come over a 16-day span.
Though the Sky stunned a Breanna Stewart-less New York Liberty squad with a 91-85 road win on Thursday, they fell 94-84 Saturday at home to last-place Connecticut. Chicago, which trailed by as much as 21, got within four in the fourth quarter before the Sun pulled away. That marked the Sky’s 14th loss in 16 games entering Monday’s difficult challenge.
“(The Aces are) the hottest team in the league right now and we can’t afford to put ourselves in a hole against them, either,” said Sky coach Tyler Marsh, who was ejected in the second quarter Saturday for running onto the court and getting in the face of official Tim Greene following a physical play involving the Sky’s Elizabeth Williams.
Angel Reese (14.5 ppg, 12.2 rpg) had 11 points with 11 rebounds Saturday for the Sky in her third game back after missing nearly a month with back issues.
On Monday, the Sky will retire the jersey of Chicago-area native and former WNBA superstar Candace Parker. She won a championship with the Sky in 2021 before closing out her 16-year career with the Aces in 2023.
–Field Level Media
