Angel Reese scores 9th straight double-double, but Sky lose to Aces
CHICAGO (AP) — A'ja Wilson scored 31 points, Jackie Young had 22 and Kelsey Plum added 21 as the Las Vegas Aces beat Chicago 95-83 on Thursday night despite rookie Angel Reese's ninth-straight double-double for the Sky.
Reese's 18 points and 11 rebounds tied Candace Parker for the WNBA's longest streak of double-doubles in a season. Parker did it in 2015 and she had a streak of 12 across two seasons (2009-10).
Wilson scored 15 points in the first quarter, Young had 12 in the third and Plum added 16 in the fourth. It was the 18th 30-point game of Wilson's career and 12th this season with at least 25.
Olympian Chelsea Gray, in her third-game back from injury that coincides with the Aces' three-game winning streak, had another solid game with eight points, six rebounds and five assists. Kiah Stokes had six of the 11 blocks for Las Vegas (9-6), which had five more 3-pointers and made nine more free throws than Chicago.
Marina Mabrey scored 21 points to lead the Sky (6-10) but only had eight after the first quarter. Chennedy Carter added 20 points.
Plum scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to push Las Vegas' lead to 79-63. Reese had nine points in the quarter to keep it respectable for Chicago, which had won two straight.
Mabrey hit all five of her shots and scored 13 points in the first quarter to help the Sky take a 25-21 lead.
Young, scoreless in the first quarter, had eight in the second as the Aces outscored the Sky 25-14 for a 46-39 halftime lead. Wilson had 23 at the break, extending her league record for 20-consecutive points in regular-season games to 20. The Sky shot 58% in the first quarter, 29% in the second.
The Sky quickly tied the game with seven straight points — five by Mabrey — to start the second half, and took a 61-60 lead when Kamilla Cardoso hit from short-range. In the last three minutes Las Vegas turned a four-point lead into a 72-63 lead entering the fourth quarter.