Jackie Young scored a game-high 28 points and the host Las Vegas Aces rolled to a 96-63 victory against the Seattle Storm on Thursday night.

Kelsey Plum put up 19 points, A’ja Wilson added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Kierstan Bell scored 12 points off the bench as the defending WNBA champion Aces (9-1) strengthened their hold on first place.

Ezi Magbegor had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Jewell Loyd scored 17 points and Ivana Dojkic scored 16 to lead the Storm (2-7).

After the first quarter ended with the score 17-17, Las Vegas outscored Seattle 30-20 in the second quarter to take a comfortable lead. The Aces added five points to the margin in the third quarter and dominated the final period 29-11.

Young’s 3-pointer started the third-quarter scoring and gave Las Vegas a 13-point lead, but Seattle closed within eight points on Loyd’s basket with 5:06 to go in the frame.

Chelsea Gray, Young, Wilson and Plum scored two points each during an 8-1 closing run that gave the Aces a 67-52 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Young made a 3-pointer to start the fourth-quarter scoring, and Las Vegas soon expanded its lead to 23 points.

The Aces scored the first five points of the game, but Kia Nurse’s jumper gave Seattle its first lead of the game, 10-9.

Las Vegas regained the advantage on two free throws by Wilson before Loyd’s 3-pointer with two seconds left pulled the Storm even at the end of the opening period.

The lead changed hands six times early in the second quarter before Plum’s 3-pointer started a 10-0 run that gave Las Vegas a 43-35 lead.

Seattle got within six points before Wilson hit two free throws and then Plum sank a layup with 3.2 seconds left to give the Aces a 47-37 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media