Plum, Young, Wilson power Aces to 6th straight victory, 98-77 over Mystics
Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) takes the ball past Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins (7) during the first half of an WNBA basketball game Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP/Steve Marcus
LAS VEGAS — Kelsey Plum scored 28 points including six 3-pointers, Jackie Young had 20 points and 10 assists and the Las Vegas Aces rolled to their sixth straight victory, 98-77 over the Washington Mystics on Thursday night.
Plum was 10 of 13 from the floor overall and 6 of 9 from 3-point range for the two-time defending champion Aces (12-6). Young notched her second straight double-double and fourth of the season. A'ja Wilson, who leads the league with a 27.0 scoring average, finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led Washington (5-16) with 19 points off the bench. Ariel Atkins had 18 points and Emily Engstler contributed 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Alysha Clark sandwiched a basket and two free throws around a layup by Wilson as Las Vegas scored the final six points to take a 23-20 lead after one quarter.
Walker-Kimbrough hit two free throws to put the Mystics up 26-25 with 7:16 left in the second period. Plum followed with back-to-back 3-pointers and added a third one in an 18-3 run to give the Aces a 43-29 lead. They led 48-35 at halftime.
A layup by Young pushed the Las Vegas lead to 67-47 with 4:25 left in the third quarter. Plum buried two straight 3-pointers to up the advantage to 30 a little under three minutes later.
The teams were playing for the second time in three games. The Aces beat the Mystics 88-77 on Saturday.
Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) shoots a three-point basket over Washington Mystics guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (32) during the first half of an WNBA basketball game Thursday, July 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. Credit: AP/Steve Marcus
Washington, playing the second of four straight road games, has gone 5-4 since losing 12 in a row to begin the season.
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Washington plays at the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday. Las Vegas hosts the Dallas Wings on Sunday.