Wilson Leads Aces Past Storm in Hard-Fought Victory
- Dante
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
On Sunday, A’ja Wilson led the Las Vegas Aces to a narrow 75–70 victory over the Seattle Storm in a game that featured a late surge from the Storm but a resilient finish by the defending champions. Wilson, who has been named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023, contributed 19 points, seven rebounds, and three steals in a strong two-way performance. Jewell Loyd, who was traded to Las Vegas in January after spending ten seasons with the Storm, added 10 points and seven rebounds. Loyd also sealed the win with two clutch free throws with 6.1 seconds remaining. Jackie Young chipped in with 12 points, while Aaliyah Nye and Chelsea Gray each scored 10. For Nye, it marked a season high in scoring. The Aces (4–2) led by as many as 17 points but struggled to maintain their advantage in the fourth quarter. Seattle rookie Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and part of the trade return for Loyd, scored the team’s first eight points of the quarter. Erica Wheeler added eight more, and Gabby Williams made a layup with 37.8 seconds left to bring the Storm within three. Seattle forced a shot-clock violation with 13.1 seconds remaining, giving them a final chance. However, Malonga missed a difficult turn-around jumper over Wilson in the paint, effectively ending the Storm’s comeback hopes.
The Storm (3–4) were led by Williams with 20 points, including four three-pointers. Skylar Diggins-Smith added 11 points but shot just 5-of-15 from the field and committed six of Seattle’s 19 turnovers. Nneka Ogwumike also struggled, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds on 4-of-13 shooting. Seattle had previously defeated the Aces 102–82 just one week earlier but have since dropped three straight games. Meanwhile, the Aces continue to find their rhythm as they look to defend their WNBA championship title.
