Wilson, Plum combine for 54 points to lead Aces past Fever for 5th straight win
Griner returns from injury as Mercury fall to Storm in Seattle
A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum combined to score 30 points in the first half and all five Las Vegas starters scored in double figures Saturday night as the Aces went on to beat the visiting Indiana Fever 101-88.
Wilson finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds, Plum added 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting to lead Las Vegas (12-1). Candace Parker added 15 points, Chelsea Gray had 13 points and a season-high tying 12 assists, and Jackie Young scored 10 with eight assists. Gray, the No. 11 pick in the 2014 WNBA draft and the 2022 Finals MVP, is the only Las Vegas starter that was not drafted No. 1 overall in their respective draft.
The Aces came into the game averaging 92.5 points per game this season — third-most in WNBA history — and topped the 100-point plateau for the second time this season. They have scored at least 90 points in 11 of 13 games.
TWINNING ✨<br><br>KP and A'ja Wilson went awfff and each dropped 20+ points in their victory over Indiana <a href="https://twitter.com/_ajawilson22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_ajawilson22</a>: 28 PTS (season-high), 10 REB, 3 AST<a href="https://twitter.com/Kelseyplum10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kelseyplum10</a>: 26 PTS, 1 AST <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreThanGame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MoreThanGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/4Y2CrFVOKV">pic.twitter.com/4Y2CrFVOKV</a>
—@WNBAWilson, who was zero for eight from three-point range this season, hit a three before she assisted on jumpers by Young and Parker to make it 11-6, and the Aces never again trailed. NaLyssa Smith converted a three-point play to make it 12-all but Wilson responded with a bucket midway through the first quarter and Las Vegas led the rest of the way.
Smith led Indiana (5-8) with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Aliyah Boston, the first pick in April's draft, made eight of 11 from the field and finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Lexie Hull had a season-high 15 points and Kristy Wallace scored 13.
Loyd scores 24 as Storm defeat Mercury
Jewell Loyd scored 24 points and had a season-high four steals, Ezi Magbegor added 15 points on six-of-seven shooting and the Seattle Storm beat the visiting Phoenix Mercury 97-74 Saturday night.
Sami Whitcomb scored 14 points, including four three-pointers, and Joyner Holmes had a career-high 12 points for Seattle (4-9).
Kia Nurse of Hamilton added nine points, four assists and a rebound for the Storm.
Phoenix (2-10) got Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi back after each missed the last three games, and lost its fifth straight. The Mercury are off to their worst start since opening 2-10 in 2003, when they finished 8-26.
Gold Mamba does it again 🤑<a href="https://twitter.com/jewellloyd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jewellloyd</a> was moneyyy in <a href="https://twitter.com/seattlestorm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@seattlestorm</a>'s win over the Mercury going 3-6 from the 3-point line and finishing with 24 PTS, 7 REB, and 3 AST <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreThanGame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MoreThanGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/45E3Q8GacA">pic.twitter.com/45E3Q8GacA</a>
—@WNBAMoriah Jefferson led the Mercury with a season-high 18 points. Michaela Onyenwere added 14 points, Taurasi scored 13 and Griner 11.
Griner (hip) and Taurasi (hamstring) rejoined the Mercury after double-digit losses in each game during their absence. Skylar Diggins-Smith (maternity leave), a four-time All-WNBA first-team selection, including each of the last two seasons, has not played this season.
Seattle had 23 assists on 32 made field goals and hit 13 three-pointers.
With files from CBC Sports
