Las Vegas avenged a lopsided loss to Dallas with a balanced 99-84 win Thursday night
The Las Vegas Aces had heard enough about the sweep. Ten days after Dallas ran them off the floor by 30 points, the reigning champions answered with the kind of night that explains why they own the title. A’ja Wilson poured in 32 points, Las Vegas led almost wire to wire, and the Aces slammed the door on any sweep talk with a 99-84 win over the Wings on Thursday.
A statement from the opening tip
Las Vegas did not wait to set the tone. The Aces opened on a 10-0 run, built a 15-4 lead and carried a 28-17 edge into the second quarter. Wilson had 16 points by halftime and finished 12-of-21 from the field, adding nine rebounds and hitting 8-of-11 free throws. The Aces shot 53.3% for the night and pushed their advantage as high as 17.
5 reasons the Aces took control
The win came together for a handful of clear reasons. (1) Wilson was the engine, scoring a game-high 32 and dictating play on both ends. (2) The early surge handed Las Vegas a cushion it never surrendered, even after Dallas trimmed the gap to 53-49 early in the third. (3) The supporting cast delivered, as Jackie Young added 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists, including a four-point play in the third, while Cheyenne Parker-Tyus chipped in 13. (4) Dallas could not buy a perimeter shot, going 2-of-21 from 3-point range. (5) The Aces controlled the glass, winning the rebounding battle 35-24 and choking off second-chance looks.
Chelsea Gray joins rare company
Gray ran the offense with 12 points and nine assists, and she stepped into the record book along the way. She became the fourth player in WNBA history to reach 4,500 career points and 2,000 assists, now sitting at 2,003 helpers. Her steady hand kept the Aces in rhythm whenever Dallas tried to climb back.
Dallas leaned on two stars
Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 25 points and six assists, and Jessica Shepard posted 22 points and 14 rebounds. Beyond that pair, no other Dallas player reached double figures. The deeper trouble was the arc, where Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale combined to miss all eight of their attempts. Ogunbowale endured a rough night overall, finishing with four points on 1-of-10 shooting. The Wings had been chasing their first season sweep of Las Vegas since 2018 after taking the first two meetings, both in Dallas, capped by a 96-66 blowout on June 15.
A marquee matchup with All-Star stakes
The night doubled as a meeting of the league’s two leading All-Star vote-getters. Wilson tops the 2026 fan ballot and enters the stretch averaging a league-best 25.6 points per game, while Bueckers sits right behind her. With the All-Star Game set for July 25 in Chicago, both faces of the rivalry are steering the conversation, and Thursday gave Wilson the upper hand.
Up next
The Aces have now won nine of their past 11, recovering from an 87-76 loss to New York on Tuesday. Las Vegas travels to face the Chicago Sky on Sunday, while Dallas hosts Minnesota the same day.