A'ja Wilson drops 19 points as Aces beat Mercury for 9th straight win

Riding on A’ja Wilson's 19 points and 13 rebounds, Las Vegas Aces powered to an 83-61 victory, their ninth straight win, over the visiting Phoenix Mercury on Thursday. Wilson, the reigning MVP, recorded her 18th double-double of the season - and seventh during the winning streak - as the Aces (23-14) climbed past both Phoenix and New York into third place in the WNBA standings with seven games left.



Dana Evans added 17 points for Las Vegas, while Jackie Young, NaLyssa Smith, and Chelsea Gray each contributed 12. The Aces also secured the season series against Phoenix, winning three of four matchups.



For the Mercury (21-14), Alyssa Thomas scored 17 points and Satou Sabally chipped in 15. Natasha Mack grabbed 10 rebounds as Phoenix held a 43-37 edge on the glass. However, star guard Kahleah Copper was limited to six points on 2-of-8 shooting before exiting in the third quarter with a left-side injury sustained while battling through a Wilson screen.


Las Vegas set the tone early, taking a 23-17 lead after one quarter and never looking back. A 3-pointer from Kierstan Bell gave the Aces the lead for good late in the first period. They stretched the margin to 15 in the second quarter and carried a 43-29 advantage into halftime, fueled by holding Phoenix to just 28.9 percent shooting.

The Mercury cut the deficit to single digits in the third quarter, but the Aces responded, entering the fourth up 59-46 and cruising from there. Phoenix’s 61 points marked its second-lowest total allowed by Las Vegas this season.