If anyone was wondering why the Las Vegas Aces are 20-8 and have a good chance to win the WNBA championship this year, guard Kelsey Plum has a simple answer.
“We have so many weapons on offense,” Plum said.
All those weapons could have a fun weekend in Indianapolis, where Las Vegas will meet the struggling Indiana Fever in a two-game series that starts Friday night at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Aces are fresh off a 93-83 win at Chicago Tuesday night that earned them the second WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Plum scored a game-high 24 points, Chelsea Gray added 19 and five assists to earn Most Valuable Player honors and A’ja Wilson dominated inside with 17 points, 17 rebounds and six blocked shots.
Las Vegas scored the game’s first 13 points and never trailed. The Sky made occasional runs, but the Aces had answers any time they needed them — often provided by Gray, who’s been overlooked at times in the middle of Plum’s breakout year and Wilson’s consistent excellence.
“I’m glad she plays for us,” Wilson said of Gray.
Five players score in double figures for Las Vegas, led by Plum at 20.1 ppg. Wilson adds 19.4 ppg and 9.7 rebounds, while Jackie Young (16.3), Gray (12.7 and 6.1 assists) and Dearica Hamby (10.5) round out the offensive onslaught.
Meanwhile, Indiana (5-25) carries a franchise-record 12-game losing streak into the contest and will have good odds for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft. It’s coming off a 96-86 loss Sunday to Dallas despite a game-high 34 points from Kelsey Mitchell and 16 from rookie NaLyssa Smith.
The scoring of Mitchell (18.6) and the development of Smith, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft who’s averaging 13.6 points and 8.0 rebounds, have been bright spots in a long year.
“She’s just kind of opening up a little bit, this second part of the season,” Fever interim coach Carlos Knox said. “She’s understanding the pace of the WNBA.”
