Las Vegas Defeats Phoenix on A'One Night, 85-84
May 7, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Las Vegas Aces News Release
LAS VEGAS - The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 85-84, on A'One Night. Rookie Deja Kelly sealed the Aces' victory with a game-winning, mid-range jumper with 4.9 seconds left. Rookie Deja Kelly scored a game-high 15 points. On the day of her Nike Pink A'ura shoe launch, A'ja Wilson tallied 14 points, six rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes. Jewell Loyd tallied 11 points, while Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young chipped in ten apiece.
Satou Sabally and Kathryn Westbeld topped the Mercury's scorers with 14 apiece.
First Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 22, Phoenix 20)
Loyd shot 50.0% (2-4 3pt FGs) from 3-point range in the first quarter. Loyd and Wilson led all scorers with eight points apiece. Gray tallied a balanced stat line, finishing the quarter with four points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in seven minutes.
Second Quarter Highlights (Phoenix 47, Las Vegas 46)
Phoenix went on a 16-6 run over four minutes from the last two minutes of the first into the beginning of the second. Phoenix's Satou Sabally drained two 3s for the Mercury, putting them ahead, 28-26, to start off the second quarter. The score remained tight and the quarter featured 11 lead changes and five knotted scores. Gray continued her balanced effort, recording four points and assisted on another six points.
Third Quarter Highlights (Phoenix 66, Las Vegas 65)
The Aces began the third with an and-one layup from Kiah Stokes, tying it up quickly, 49-49. Phoenix regained the lead quickly and went on a 15-5 run for its largest lead of the night, 64-54, with 5:38 to play in the quarter. The Aces started chipping away at the gap and Kelly, who led all scorers in the period with 7, brought the Aces within one at the buzzer with a 3-pointer.
Fourth Quarter Highlights (Las Vegas 85, Phoenix 84)
With all five starters sitting the final frame, the Aces bench kept pace with the Mercury bench in a quarter that had nine lead changes and three knotted scores. Kelly hit a crucial mid-range jumper with 23.6 seconds left to give the Aces the lead, 83-82. After Phoenix's Westbeld made a layup, Kelly sealed the win for the Aces with a mid-range jumper with 4.9 seconds left.
KEY STATS
Four out of five starters scored in double digits.
Nine out of ten players who entered the game scored at least two points.
The Aces outscored the Mercury in fast break points, 12-4.
All available players saw the court in tonight's game (13).
Kelly led the bench production with 15 points in 13 minutes.
The Mercury outrebounded the Aces 35-27.
The Merc held a 34-32 edge in points in the paint and outscored the Aces 24-10. The Aces, however, scored 12 points in transition to the Mercury's 4.
The Aces shot 19-23 (.826) from the line to the Mercury's 6-8 tries at the stripe.
Phoenix coughed up 16 points on 21 turnovers, while the Aces gave up 10 points on 12 miscues.
GAME NOTES
The game, "A'One Night" was in celebration of Wilson's "Pink A'ura" Nike shoe launch. The first 8,000 fans received an A'One t-shirt in addition to the many activations along the concourse, in collaboration with Nike. The Pink A'ura shoe sold out in minutes on Tuesday morning. The launch colorway symbolizes Wilson's ability to lead with confidence, loyalty and passion, with layers of pink that lights up the court in her favorite color.
NEXT UP
With tonight's conclusion of the Aces preseason slate, Las Vegas turns its head to the regular-season opener on Saturday, May 17, against the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty. The game will tip off at 12 p.m. PT and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
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