Aj'a Wilson made a great start to the season on an individual level. Best scorer (28.3), best rebounder (11.8) and best blocker (3.0, tied with Ezi Magbegor) at the start of the campaign, the inside player put in another great performance last night, against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The problem is that his enormous stat line (31 points at 10/17 shooting including 2/2 from distance, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 blocks and 2 interceptions) was not enough for the double holders of the title, defeated 96-92 by the Los Angeles Sparks of Dearica Hamby (18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists) and Rickea Jackson (16 points).
For Las Vegas, it is a fourth defeat in the first nine matches of the season, the second in the three matches played in the “Commissioner's Cup”, which places the team in 5th place (out of six) West…
Do not give up
“We just have to keep playing the right way. It's up to the next player to take over.”explains Becky Hammon, forced to do without two starters, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young. ” It's like that. No one feels sorry for us… It doesn’t make sense to feel sorry for ourselves.”
With Kelsey Plum at 24 points, the Aces had started strong, with a 14-0 which put Cameron Brink (8 points on 2/8 shooting, 6 rebounds and 5 blocks) and company on the ropes. But Los Angeles, thanks to its rebound domination (36-23) and its bench (40 points to 17), reversed the trend to finally win.
“I like the fact that we didn’t give in tonight.”assured A'ja Wilson, who wanted to be positive. “I feel like we could sit down and say, 'We don't have Jackie [Young]we don't have Chelsea [Gray]', but we don't. We are going to take things head on and fight every night.”
