The Las Vegas Aces got a much-needed bounce back victory on the road against the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night. The Aces got the 86-76 dub, powered by A'ja Wilson's 33 points on the night, which led the team.
Wilson added another 11 rebounds, and shot an impressive 55% from the floor in the victory. The reigning WNBA MVP added five steals, as the Aces finished with 18 on the night. After the game, Wilson said her team's defensive effort has been a point of emphasis throughout the year:
"That's what we've been harping on. It has not been the best. It's actually been the crappiest."
— USA Sports (@usasports) June 18, 2026
A'ja Wilson on a season high of 18 team steals tonight for the Aces 🍪 pic.twitter.com/26UoHvtMzD
With the 10-point victory, the Aces also clinched a spot to play in the championship of the ongoing Commissioner's Cup championship. Las Vegas will play the red-hot New York Liberty, who won the cup in Vegas last season, and clinched a trip to the final a couple games ago. The two teams will meet in the regular season on Saturday June 23 in Las Vegas, with the cup game scheduled to come later in New York.
The win was a bounce-back game for Las Vegas for a couple different reasons. For starters, the win avenged Mercury's shocking 99-66 upset over the Aces during the opening game of the season. It also helped the Aces rebound from a crushing 95-87 loss to the Dallas Wings last week.
Elsewhere on the team, NaLyssa Smith added 21 points, with Jackie Young adding another 20. With the loss, Phoenix has now lost four straight games.
Next up for the Aces is a home game against the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, whereas the Mercury looks to snap its four-game losing streak against the Seattle Storm on Saturday.
Congrats to Wilson and the Aces on getting a much-needed victory on the road!
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