Aces swat Sparks to bounce back fast in 105-78 win

Carter brings the punch

Chennedy Carter gave Las Vegas a major lift off the bench, leading the Aces with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting. She also added two steals and gave Las Vegas downhill pressure after the Aces struggled to consistently get to the rim against Phoenix.

That was one of the biggest differences Sunday. Las Vegas scored 62 points in the paint after finishing with 38 against the Mercury, and the Aces attacked earlier instead of letting possessions slow down.

NaLyssa Smith was perfect from the field, scoring 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting with six rebounds and two blocks. A’ja Wilson added 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal, while Chelsea Gray had 16 points and five assists and went 4-for-5 from three.

Defense travels

The Aces did more than score, holding Los Angeles to 37% shooting and blocking 10 shots. Smith and Wilson had two blocks each, while Brianna Turner added two more off the bench.

Las Vegas also forced 19 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 26 points. That was the kind of pressure Becky Hammon wanted after saying Saturday that Las Vegas needed to start defending earlier and stop giving opponents so much free space.

Kelsey Plum led the Sparks with 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting and went 4-for-8 from three against her former team. Nneka Ogwumike added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Dearica Hamby finished with 12 points and five rebounds.

However, Los Angeles never led. The Sparks cut into the deficit with a 27-13 second quarter, but the Aces took control again after halftime.

Third quarter response

The third quarter decided the game, as Las Vegas outscored Los Angeles 33-18 after taking only a 42-41 lead into halftime.

The Aces then closed the game with a 30-19 fourth quarter, turning a tight game into a comfortable road win. The second half also showed the value of the quick turnaround.

During the 2025 regular season, the Aces went 1-2 in the second game of back-to-backs and 3-3 overall across the six games that made up those sets. After Saturday’s loss, Sunday gave Las Vegas a chance to respond without sitting on the result.

The Aces did exactly that.

First win secured

The opening weekend still gave Las Vegas plenty to clean up. The Aces committed 15 turnovers and allowed 15 offensive rebounds, which kept Los Angeles alive longer than the final score might suggest.

Still, this was the answer Las Vegas needed. One day after shooting 41% from the field and 21% from three, the Aces shot 62% overall and had five players score in double figures.

The first game exposed problems. The second game showed the response.

For the Aces, that was the important part.

Up next

The Aces continue their road trip Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. Pacific on USA Network. Las Vegas enters at 1-1 after Sunday’s win over the Sparks, while Connecticut is 0-2. A’ja Wilson leads the Aces at 19.0 points per game, Jackie Young is averaging 6.0 rebounds, and Chelsea Gray is averaging 6.0 assists.