September 11, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Aces forward Aja Wilson (22) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Connecticut Sun 67-64 in Game 1 of the 2022 WNBA Finals at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports The Washington Mystics have had some great accomplishments recently, but a bigger task awaits them Thursday night.
The Mystics will face the host Las Vegas Aces, who are riding their best five-game winning streak this season.
“Our drive, our desire to be better for each other, has kind of intensified,” said Aces star A’ja Wilson, who is averaging a WNBA-best 27.0 points per game.
The Aces (11-6) will also be looking for their second win over the Mystics in three games after posting an 88-77 victory Saturday in Washington, D.C. All of Las Vegas’ consecutive victories have come by at least 11 points.
The Aces’ 88-69 victory over the visiting Indiana Fever on Tuesday included a season-high 34 points from Kelsey Plum.
The Mystics (5-15) will be making their second stop of a four-game road trip. Washington beat the Los Angeles Sparks 82-80 on Tuesday with a big fourth-quarter comeback.
“I feel like we never give up,” Mystics guard Julie Vanloo said. “We showed that we learned from the past. We kept going, we put our foot down and we didn’t stop.”
Since starting the season with 12 straight losses, the Mystics have won five of their last eight games.
Washington has had five different leading scorers in its last six games, with Shatori Walker-Kimbrough leading the team’s scoring list for the first time this season with 17 points in Los Angeles.
Stefanie Dolson, the only player on the team to earn the distinction in the last six games, scored a season-best 23 points in last weekend’s game against Las Vegas.
Wilson scored a season-low 11 points in Saturday’s game at Washington, but rebounded with 28 points on Tuesday.
“It’s like a normal day at the office. It’s absurd,” Plum said of Wilson scoring a point above his season average. “I think we should put it in perspective.”
Aces guard Chelsea Gray has played five games this season after returning from a foot injury and has made a smooth return to action, averaging 7.8 points and 21.2 minutes.
“When Chelsea come back, everyone gets their rhythm back and that’s what you’ve seen so far,” Plum said. “Chelsea are the reason why we’re able to get out, run, get into space and players are able to make plays.”
The Aces played their best game defensively, holding Indiana to less than 70 points.
“It’s a more focused, more focused attention to detail,” Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said of the defensive improvements.
–Field level media
