The Las Vegas Aces are eyeing their third straight 30-point win as they travel to meet the struggling Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday.
Las Vegas (10-1) resoundingly has bounced back from its lone hiccup this season, a 94-77 loss at Connecticut on June 8, to maintain its place atop the league standings.
After beating Chicago on June 11, the Aces throttled Seattle 96-63 on Thursday before dismantling Minnesota 93-62 on Sunday to complete a perfect three-game homestand.
Las Vegas’ up-tempo offense has been on full display during the team’s current win streak, averaging 94 points per game while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
Gray (13.8 points per game) is one of four starters averaging double figures for the defending champions, along with Jackie Young (20.8), A’ja Wilson (18.5) and Kelsey Plum (15.9).
Fifth starter and future Hall of Famer Candace Parker chips in 8.3 points for the league’s only team averaging above 90 points per game this season entering Tuesday.
Las Vegas has eclipsed the 90-point plateau nine times in 2023 and could add to that total against a Phoenix squad that surrenders 86.5 points per game so far, tied for the league’s second-highest total as of Tuesday.
The Mercury (2-8) have lost three straight and have played the last two games without leading scorer and rebounder Brittney Griner (hip) and top assist threat Diana Taurasi (hamstring).
Sophie Cunningham has been the go-to point producer in Griner’s absence and logged a season-high 27 points during Phoenix’s 89-71 loss at New York on Sunday.
Sug Sutton, meanwhile, has flourished as the team’s new leading distributor, dishing out 17 assists over the previous two games.
Griner and Taurasi are listed as day-to-day, while Diggins-Smith has spent the season on maternity leave. Forward Michaela Onyenwere (8.6 points per game) is also day-to-day after being struck in the face during a collision with New York’s Jonquel Jones in the second quarter of Sunday’s game.
Wednesday’s game is the first meeting between the two clubs since last season’s playoffs, when the top-seeded Aces swept the Mercury in the first round en route to the franchise’s first title.
