Happy Sunday, basketball fans. Welcome back to our WNBA coverage at Total Apex Sports. Today’s slate features four games. One of the other games we will look at features the Las Vegas Aces (12-7) hosting the Dallas Wings (5-16).
Can the Aces bounce back from a disappointing loss, or will the Wings push their winning streak to two games?
Here is a look at how each squad has performed coming into this Western Conference matchup.
Las Vegas Aces vs. Dallas Wings Game Details
Fixture: Dallas Wings @ Las Vegas Aces
Date and Time: July 7, 2024 @ 3:30 PM EST
Location: Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Network: ESPN
Team Review
Las Vegas Aces
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The defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces got off to a mediocre start in 2024, posting a 6-6 record across their first 12 games. They followed that stretch up with a six-game winning streak, in which they won each of those contests by a double-digit margin. Las Vegas saw its impressive winning streak end with a 98-93 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night.
Two-time champion A’ja Wilson paced the team’s offense with a game-high 35 points, 12 boards, and three assists. She shot 13-of-23 from the field and a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. Kelsey Plum added 21 points and four assists on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc, while Jackie Young finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
The Aces battled back from a double-digit halftime deficit before ultimately falling in the overtime session.
Dallas Wings
On the other end of this matchup, the Dallas Wings have not had a great season, to put it nicely. Although they did go 3-3 across their first six outings, they followed that stretch with a season-high 10-game losing streak. Dallas has been marginally better, going 2-3 in its last five outings, including an 85-82 win over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night.
In that contest, all five of the Wings’ starting unit reached double figures. Arike Ogunbowale scored a team-high 19 points, along with five rebounds and four assists. Jacy Sheldon added 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting overall and 5-of-8 from three-point range.
The Dream shot 55.7 percent from the field, which is not much of a surprise as Dallas is one of the worst defensive teams in the association. However, Dallas turned 28 turnovers into 39 points, which played an integral role in its victory.
Potential Breakout Players Of The Game
Las Vegas Aces
When you think about the Aces, the first names that come to mind are A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young, and rightfully so, as this trio leads the team in scoring. However, my potential breakout player for Las Vegas is Tiffany Hayes. On the one hand, she has been averaging less than 10 points per contest for the first time since her 2012 rookie campaign.
On the flip side of the narrative, she finished the month of June with two double-digit performances in a five-game stretch. So, while the team does not need her to put up huge numbers, these instances illustrate that the 12-year veteran can still be a scoring threat when it’s needed.
Dallas Wings
Arike Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard lead the Wings in scoring, averaging 23.6 points and 16.9 points per game, respectively. One player that fans should keep a watchful eye on is Odyssey Sims, who recently signed with Dallas via a hardship contract.
In the five games she has played for Dallas, Sims has reached double figures four times and is averaging 12.8 points per contest on 49 percent shooting from the field. In a season that has been memorable for the wrong reasons, Sims has proven to be one of the few bright spots for this ball club.
