Aces Dominate The Fourth Quarter Against The Mystics To Earn Their 4th Straight Win (6-29-24)

By: Xavier Jones

All Photo Credit: Arturo Jones-LMS Network

On Saturday, June 29th, the Washington Mystics were looking to defend their home court against the two-time defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces. The game took place at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC. The Mystics were looking to get back on the winning path after a loss to the Connecticut Sun in OT in the team’s previous game. In the first quarter, Stefanie Dolson led the charge for the Mystics by going perfect from the field and scoring 9 points while Jackie Young of the Aces scored 10 points.

At the end of the first quarter, Washington was ahead 28-20. In the second quarter, Jackie Young continued to pour it on by scoring 9 more points. Dolson would continue her hot shooting from the field, and Myisha Hines-Allen chipped in with 7 points in the second quarter. Hines-Allen and Dolson combined for 25 first-half points, which helped them carry a 52-46 lead into halftime. Jackie Young had a game-high of 19 points in the first half, and her teammate, Tiffany Hayes chipped in with 10 points off of the bench for Las Vegas. The Mystics were able to hold A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum to a combined 1-10 from the field and two points.

At the start of the third quarter, A’ja Wilson gets a bucket to score her first points of the game. As the quarter continues, Hines-Allen is still pouring it in on the Aces. Chelsea Gray begins to heat up by hitting back-to-back 3s to cut into their deficit. Now, the Mystics and the Aces are going back and forth, with the lead changing several times between the two. In a game where Washington seemingly was in control for all of the first half and the majority of the third quarter, Las Vegas showed why they are the cream of the crop in the WNBA. To end the third quarter, Gray gets fouled on a three-point attempt with 0.3 seconds remaining. Gray knocks down all 3 free throws to help carry the momentum they’ve built into the final quarter.

Entering into the fourth quarter, Washington still maintained a one-point lead over Vegas. However, at that point in the game, it never felt like they were in control like they were earlier on. The Aces would go on to dominate the fourth quarter by outscoring Washington 21-8, and the final score being 88-77. With that, the Washington Mystics would fall to 4-15 and the Las Vegas Aces improved their record to 10-6. This was also the Aces’ 4th straight win. The trio of Jackie Young (26 points), Chelsea Gray (22 points), and Tiffany Hayes (17 points) helped the lead way for the defending champions as they carry on this momentum against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on July 2nd. The Washington Mystics are looking to bounce back into the win column against the Los Angeles Sparks on July 2nd, in Los Angeles.