The Las Vegas Aces have a silver lining after their 101-84 exhibition loss to the Dallas Wings: none of it counts until the regular season tips off Saturday.
Sunday’s preseason finale in Austin was a wake-up call for the defending champions, as the Wings put on an offensive clinic. From the opening tip, Dallas set the tone with a blistering 35-point first quarter, including an 18-8 run in the final five minutes. By halftime, the Wings were shooting nearly 60 percent from the field, building a lead that would prove insurmountable. A 28-point third quarter effectively put the game out of reach, leaving the Aces to play catch-up the rest of the way.
Head coach Becky Hammon didn’t mince words about her team’s defensive struggles. “We were just really poor at executing in between,” she said, reflecting on that first quarter. “They made a lot of shots, we missed a lot of shots. We know we can’t give up 35.” It was the exact issue she had highlighted after the Aces’ previous preseason game against Japan—big offensive quarters from opponents are a problem that needs fixing.
Dallas spread the scoring load effectively. Guard Aziaha James led all scorers with 18 points and four rebounds, while top draft picks Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd made their presence felt. Bueckers stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points and a game-high nine assists, and Fudd bounced back with a 12-point performance.
Perhaps most concerning for Las Vegas was the physical mismatch. The Aces had handled Japan’s intensity, but against the Wings, they were outmuscled on the glass. Reigning co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith grabbed a game-high seven rebounds—three on the offensive end—as Dallas finished with a commanding 35-25 edge on the boards, including a 9-2 advantage in offensive rebounds.
“We weren’t executing our defensive schemes,” admitted Aces wing Jackie Young. “We weren’t being physical, and they were just able to get to their offense and do what they wanted.”
Still, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Las Vegas. Point guard Chelsea Gray looked sharp and in mid-season form, orchestrating the offense with her usual poise. For a team that knows what it takes to win championships, this loss may serve as the perfect motivation heading into the regular season—a reminder that even the best need to bring their defensive intensity every single night.