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A visual representation of the game continuing to grow was on full-display as Tuesday night’s meeting between the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever hit record numbers.
In front of the fifth-largest crowd in WNBA history, Las Vegas got the better of Indiana, 88-69, from the T-Mobile Arena. It was a rematch from a late May meeting between the two but this time it took place in front of more than 20,360 people, setting the largest attendance for a WNBA game since 1999.
“I think this game was sold out a long time ago,” guard Kelsey Plum said. “I think we have tremendous fans, it was an amazing environment and I’m just grateful that we got the win.”
The team’s season-long win streak has been increased to five games. As it presently stands, the Aces are 11-6 on the year and are currently slotted in the fifth spot in the league standings.
Las Vegas will return to action Thursday night to conclude a two-game homestand. It will welcome in Washington for a 7 p.m. tip-off from the Michelob Ultra Arena.
“We got [guard Chelsea Gray] back so our organization is back to normal,” forward A’ja Wilson said. “Just wanting to be better for each other kind of stepped up. Because we needed it, we were in a funk. We were, it was something that we’ve never been in before. We were uncomfortable.”
Plum turned in a season-high 34 points on 11-of-20 from the field with six made threes. Amidst her performance, she reached the 3,000 career point plateau.
“When you can shoot it like she can shoot it – and she’s fast,” head coach Becky Hammon said. “That’s the hardest thing in basketball to guard a live closeout. A live-ball closeout with somebody who can shoot and pass and drive and finish in the paint.”
Fourteen of her 32 points came in the first half as Plum was at the heart of the Aces’ 10-4 run in the second quarter to take a double-digit lead. During that run, the team would hold its opponent to just two points over a four-minute span.
Eventually the lead jumped to 11 early in the second half before the Fever made their run to trim it back to three.
“I’ve been saying this all year, ‘I think she’s the best two-way player in the world,” Plum said. “Every night she’s guarding one of the best players and does a tremendous job with that. Tonight, she just found a way to make an impact.”
Las Vegas responded to the rally and would not only rebuild its double-figure lead but would stretch it to as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter.
Oftentimes, Plum was matched up with No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark. She would end the night with 13 points, 11 assists and six rebounds along with five fouls.
As a team, Indiana shot 36% from the field including a 23%-mark from beyond the arc.
“We made them uncomfortable,” Wilson said. “Nobody likes to be uncomfortable, especially on the court so I think that’s what really helped us to then push on the offensive side.”
If it wasn’t Plum, Clark was matched up with guard Jackie Young, who recorded a 15-point, 10-assist double-double. Reserve forward Alysha Clark also shared defensive duties on this year’s top pick.
Wilson didn’t record her first field goal until late in the first quarter but made his presence felt early on defense. As a team, Las Vegas muscled out three blocks and two steals with all blocks coming from the team’s two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Wilson posted 28 points on 59% shooting, nine rebounds and five blocks.
“I think coming off of our Washington game, it wasn’t A’ja and KP,” Wilson said. “And that’s okay, we’re going to have nights like that. So I think coming into this game we wanted to get back into the flow of us.”
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