WNBA round-up: Jackie Young scores career-high 27 points as Las Vegas Aces overcome Phoenix Mercury
The Las Vegas Aces overcame the Phoenix Mercury behind 27 points from Jackie Young, while earlier in the week the Seattle Storm handed the Connecticut Sun their first defeat of the season and the New York Liberty recorded their best start to a season since 2007
Last Updated: 27/05/21 3:54pm
Jackie Young scored a career-high 27 points, A'ja Wilson had 16 points and nine rebounds and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Phoenix Mercury 85-79 on Wednesday night.
Phoenix (2-3) played their first game since guard Diana Taurasi fractured her sternum; she's expected to miss at least four weeks.
Dearica Hamby's layup with 96 seconds remaining put the Aces (3-2) ahead 80-79, before Phoenix's next offensive possession ended when Britney Griner committed an offensive foul.
Skylar Diggins-Smith then fouled Riquna Williams on a 3-point attempt and Williams made three free throws for a four-point lead.
Liz Cambage blocked Shey Peddy's reverse layup attempt with 32 seconds left, and forced Phoenix to foul, Young making two free throws to seal it.
The Mercury had a brief scare just before halftime when Griner went to the floor after getting hit in the chest by Cambage on a post-up move. She returned to finish with 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Diggins-Smith had 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Wins for Seattle, Dream and Mystics
Tuesday night saw Sue Bird score 21 points while Jewell Loyd provided 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals as the Seattle Storm handed the Connecticut Sun their first loss of the season with a 90-87 overtime win.
Breanna Stewart had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Stephanie Talbot added 11 points for Seattle (4-1). Jonquel Jones had her fifth consecutive double-double for Connecticut (5-1), finishing with 28 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Brionna Jones added 19 points, DeWanna Bonner scored 15 and Natisha Hiedeman 14.
Bird, who threw away the ball at the end of regulation, sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a layup by Loyd in an 8-0 run to open the extra period and the Storm led the rest of the way. Jasmine Thomas converted a three-point play to trim the Sun's deficit to 87-84 with 2:58 to play but Stewart answered with a 3-pointer - her first basket since the first quarter - and Seattle held on.
Tiffany Hayes scored 26 points, Courtney Williams added 18 and the Atlanta Dream beat the Chicago Sky 90-83.
Aari McDonald scored eight points and assisted on a basket by Monique Billings in a 10-0 run that made it 18-8 with two minutes left in the first quarter and the Dream led the rest of the way. McDonald, the No. 3 selection in April's draft, finished with nine points and five assists - both season highs.
Kahleah Copper led Chicago (2-2) with 21 points, Diamond DeShields scored 17 and Courtney Vandersloot added 14. Azura Stevens scored 13 and Astou Ndour-Fall had 11 points and nine rebounds.
Tina Charles scored 30 points, Myisha Hines-Allen had 15 points and 10 rebounds and the Washington Mystics beat the Indiana Fever 85-69.
The 32-year-old Charles. who scored 34 in a win over the New York Liberty on Friday and 31 in a loss to the Fever on Sunday, has reached the 30-point plateau in three consecutive games for the first time in her illustrious career. The eight-time All-WNBA selection and 2012 WNBA MVP is averaging a league-high 26.2 points per game.
Tiffany Mitchell scored 11 points for Indiana (1-5). Jessica Breland and Danielle Robinson added 10 points apiece.
Liberty improve to 5-1
Betnijah Laney scored 26 points and Natasha Howard added 17 to help the New York Liberty beat the Dallas Wings 88-81 on Monday night, taking New York's record to 5-1 in their best start since 2007.
Sabrina Ionescu added 15 points and nine rebounds for Liberty, who made 10 3-pointers and 22 of 27 free throws. Howard played just 22 minutes before leaving with an injury.
Sami Whitcomb's 3-pointer early in the fourth extended New York's lead to 66-52, but Dallas pulled within 73-71 with 3:53 left. Ionescu scored New York's next eight points for an eight-point lead.
Arike Ogunbowale struggled from the floor, shooting six for 20, but made nine of 10 free throws to finish with 24 points to lead Dallas (1-2). Marina Mabrey had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Kayla Thornton had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Isabelle Harrison scored 11.
