Aces take birthday test against league-leading Lynx

Another heavyweight round

Las Vegas already knows how little separates these teams.

The Aces beat Minnesota 100-97 on June 13 at Michelob ULTRA Arena. They shot 54 percent, made 11 3-pointers and recorded 24 assists.

Wilson finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Gray scored 23 points and made six 3-pointers.

Jackie Young added 16 points and 10 assists, while Smith scored 15 on 7-for-9 shooting.

Minnesota still had a chance to steal it late.

Olivia Miles scored 29 points, then a career high, and gave Minnesota a 97-96 lead with 24.5 seconds remaining.

Wilson answered with two free throws. Gray later added two more before Miles and Courtney Williams missed late 3-point attempts.

Miles has since raised her career high to 33 points, reinforcing how much her scoring has developed during her rookie season.

The first meeting also showed why Minnesota can be difficult to defend even when the Aces execute well.

Before that game, Becky Hammon summed up the challenge.

“Ball movement is the hardest thing to defend, and they move it better than anybody,” Hammon said.

That concern remains.

Miles ahead

Miles enters Saturday after scoring 23 points in Minnesota’s 89-82 loss to Los Angeles.

She is averaging 22.4 points over the Lynx’s last 10 games and already showed Las Vegas how quickly she can change a game.

The Aces held Miles scoreless in the first quarter of the June meeting. She scored 29 over the final three.

Minnesota also has plenty around her.

Williams is averaging 15.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Natasha Howard leads the Lynx with 7.7 rebounds per game, while Kayla McBride remains a constant perimeter threat.

The Lynx are 9-1 over their last 10 games and averaged 97.6 points during that stretch.

However, Thursday offered a reminder that even Minnesota can stall.

The Lynx went scoreless over the final 4:53 against Los Angeles. They missed their final seven shots while the Sparks closed the game on an 8-0 run.

Las Vegas would like to create more of that discomfort.

Defense travels

The Aces arrive with fresh evidence that their defense can carry them when shots stop falling.

Las Vegas trailed Indiana by 20 on Thursday and shot only 41 percent. Still, the Aces found a way to win.

They held the Fever to nine points in the third quarter and forced 22 turnovers.

Hammon said Las Vegas produced 15 consecutive defensive stops during the comeback.

“I’m super proud of our defense,” Hammon said. “That’s why your defense is so important, because it’s going to give you a chance to win the game at the end.”

That could become even more important Saturday.

Minnesota shoots 48.2 percent from the field this season. Las Vegas has held opponents to 44 percent.

Hammon has also talked about changing defensive coverages against elite scorers instead of allowing them to see the same look repeatedly.

The Aces used that approach against Indiana. Now they face another offense built around multiple creators.

Road momentum builds

Las Vegas is 13-4 away from home and 7-3 over its last 10 games.

The Aces averaged 95.7 points during that stretch while shooting 50.5 percent. They also averaged 23.3 assists.

Thursday’s win showed another side of the team.

Young rescued Las Vegas after the Aces fell behind by 20. Wilson took over in overtime. Gray hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to force the extra period, then hit another to win it.

The Aces did not play clean basketball. They survived anyway.

That matters during a five-game trip, especially with a quick turnaround against the league’s best record.

Smith has quietly given Las Vegas another source of efficiency. She enters Saturday shooting a league-best 65.7 percent from the field while averaging 12.1 points.

She was also effective in the first Minnesota meeting, finishing 7-for-9.

Birthday assignment

Wilson and Smith will spend their shared birthday trying to hand Minnesota another loss.

Wilson enters averaging 26.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals and two blocks.

On Thursday, she struggled early before scoring eight straight Aces points to open overtime. Then she made the decisive defensive play, stealing Caitlin Clark’s pass before Gray’s game-winner.

Smith brings a different kind of value. Her efficiency has given Las Vegas another reliable option around Wilson, Young and Gray.

Now both get Minnesota on their birthday.

The Lynx still own the league’s best record. Las Vegas already proved it can beat them in a shootout.

Saturday offers a different question.

Can the Aces carry the defensive edge they found in Indiana into Minnesota and leave with another road win?

Doing so would give Las Vegas a third straight victory, a 2-0 season-series advantage and one memorable birthday present for Wilson and Smith.

Tipoff is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT at Target Center in Minneapolis.