WNBA Recaps: Aces Match History in Blowout; Fire Burn Dream Without Reese, Lynx Outlast Liberty

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As the WNBA season moves closer to the playoffs, we are seeing very little separation from the top spot to the 7th spot, where the Dream are just 4 games back of the #1 team in the standings, the Las Vegas Aces.

From A’ja Wilson’s continued dominance to an unforgettable rookie debut from a last-minute signee, Saturday night was anything but quiet. Here is a recap of last night’s games.

Las Vegas Aces 106, Phoenix Mercury 58

A Historic Onslaught at Michelob ULTRA Arena

The Las Vegas Aces didn’t just win on Saturday night; they put on a terrifying clinic that will go down in the record books. Demolishing the Phoenix Mercury by 48 points, the Aces matched the third-largest margin of victory in WNBA history.

Las Vegas came out with fire, opening the game with a 9-0 run and closing out a suffocating first quarter with a 29-9 advantage. The lead eventually expanded to as many as 54 points in the fourth quarter, fully erasing any memory of their 30-point loss to Phoenix in the season opener.

The A’ja Standard: Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson was absolutely unstoppable, needing just 25 minutes of action to drop 21 points and 15 rebounds, remarkably wrapping up her double-double before the halftime buzzer even sounded.

The Pissott Phenomenon

While Wilson anchored the floor, the story of the night belonged to rookie Justine Pissott. Signed just 24 hours prior off the Indiana development roster, the second-round draft pick played the entire fourth quarter and put on a shooting exhibition for the ages. Pissott finished with 19 points, shooting an ultra-efficient 7-of-8 from the field, including a flawless 5-for-6 from three-point range.

Las Vegas Aces Stats: A’ja Wilson (21 PTS, 15 REB), Justine Pissott (19 PTS, 5-6 3PT), Chelsea Gray (15 PTS, 12 AST), Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (15 PTS).
Phoenix Mercury Stats: Monique Akoa Makani (13 PTS), Lexi Held (11 PTS). Mercury veteran DeWanna Bonner was held to just 2 points on a miserable shooting night.

Portland Fire 102, Atlanta Dream 92

Fire Rain Threes to Subdue Reese-Less Dream

The Portland Fire took full advantage of a short-handed Atlanta squad, raining down a barrage of perimeter shots to walk out of the Gateway Center Arena with a 102-92 victory. Atlanta was forced to take the court without their star forward, Angel Reese, who sat on the bench with her right foot encased in a walking boot following an ankle injury sustained on Thursday.

Portland’s offense operated with beautiful fluidity, finishing the night with seven players scoring in double figures. The Fire shot a blistering 60% (36-of-60) from the field and a lethal 14-of-29 from beyond the arc.

Unbelievable Bench Efficiency

The catalyst for Portland’s breakaway came from their second unit. The reserve trio of Serah Williams, Frieda Buhner, and Teja Oblak put on an unblemished scoring show, combining to shoot an astonishing 14-for-15 from the floor to score 36 bench points.

Atlanta fought back valiantly behind young center Madina Okot, who stepped into the starting lineup for Reese and delivered a spectacular, career-high 19 points and 8 rebounds. Rhyne Howard ignited a third-quarter comeback to put Atlanta up 70-67 briefly, but Portland answered with a prompt 16-5 run to permanently secure the game.

Portland Fire Stats: Megan Gustafson (17 PTS), Emily Engstler (14 PTS, 11 REB), Carla Leite (13 PTS, 10 AST), Serah Williams (15 PTS).
Atlanta Dream Stats: Allisha Gray (20 PTS), Madina Okot (19 PTS, 8 REB), Naz Hillmon (15 PTS), Jordin Canada (10 PTS, 12 AST).

Minnesota Lynx 90, New York Liberty 85

Lynx Tame the Liberty in High-Stakes Finals Rematch

In a highly anticipated rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals, the Minnesota Lynx defended their home floor at the Target Center, grinding out a thrilling 90-85 win over the Eastern Conference-leading New York Liberty. The win vaults Minnesota to a 17-6 record, keeping them neck-and-neck with Las Vegas at the absolute peak of the standings.

The game was a premier heavyweight battle from the opening tip, featuring elite shot-making from both team icons. Kayla McBride paced the Lynx with 25 points, responding to every New York run with timely perimeter answers. Olivia Miles returned and did not miss a beat, scoring 23 points to go with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Liberty leaned heavily on Sabrina Ionescu, who countered with 25 points of her own, including several spectacular “and-one” drives into traffic. 19 of those points came in the 3rd quarter when the Liberty had a run that gave them a brief lead.

Ultimately, Minnesota’s league-best defense choked away New York’s primary passing lanes down the stretch, sealing a wild final three minutes with clinical execution from the floor and the free-throw line.

Minnesota Lynx Stats: Kayla McBride (25 PTS), Natasha Howard (16 PTS, 9 REB).
New York Liberty Stats: Sabrina Ionescu (25 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST), Breanna Stewart (17 PTS, 7 REB).