"It's a Shame": Aces' Streak Ends, Set for Must-Win Game 3

A Close Game That Fell Short

In a dramatic twist of fate, the Las Vegas Aces found themselves in a nail-biting situation during Game 2 of their first-round WNBA playoffs matchup against the Seattle Storm. With just three seconds left on the clock and the team down by three points, coach Becky Hammon designed a play for Jewell Loyd to take the final shot. However, Loyd’s attempt fell short, and the Storm celebrated their 86-83 victory as the lights dimmed at Climate Pledge Arena.

Both Hammon and Loyd acknowledged that the Aces should not have been in such a precarious position. The team had led by 14 points in the third quarter but were outscored 25-14 in the final frame. They managed only four points over the last four minutes of the game, which ended their 17-game winning streak.

“It should have never came down to that,” Hammon reflected. “It falls back on all of us. It wasn’t just one person, and we all got to do better.”

The turning point came when 19-year-old rookie center Dominique Malonga completed a 3-point play to give the Storm an 84-83 lead with 31 seconds remaining. Guard Skylar Diggins then hit a jump shot to put Seattle up by three with 4.7 seconds to play. The Storm also received 11 points from guard Erica Wheeler in the final 10 minutes.

A New Challenge for the Aces

The No. 2-seeded Aces will host the No. 7 Seattle Storm for Game 3 at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Michelob Ultra Arena. The winner of this series will advance to the second round, where they will face the winner of the Game 3 between the No. 3 Atlanta Dream and the No. 6 Indiana Fever.

The Storm made the most of their home game in the series, with fans staying on their feet for the final four minutes. Loyd admitted that the Aces did not execute well on both ends of the floor.

“This was a tough loss for us,” Loyd said. “We didn’t perform at a high level tonight.”

The loss marked the Aces’ first since August 2. Diggins contributed 26 points for the Storm, while forward Nneka Ogwumike added 24. Guard Jackie Young led the Aces with 25 points on her 28th birthday. She scored 12 straight points for the team during one stretch in the third quarter, helping them build a 63-51 lead. Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Aces, who led 67-53 with 2:05 remaining in the third quarter but couldn’t hold on.

“We bought ourselves 40 more minutes and that was our goal,” Diggins said after the game. “After tonight, we might start our own streak.”

Diggins noted that the Aces were used to winning and likely expected another victory after dominating the Storm in Game 1 and sweeping Seattle in the first round of the playoffs last year. However, Hammon had anticipated a challenge in Game 2.

“It’s going to be a much closer game. It’s a different game. No points carry over. It’s going to be hard to match the emotional energy of this team,” Hammon said before the game. “It just is. Survival is a different attitude.”

Injury Concerns and Team Reaction

Wilson went down hard early in the third quarter after a foul from forward Ezi Magbegor and appeared to grab her shooting shoulder. She was limited to five points in the second half, but it remains unclear if she was affected by pain from the fall.

“It’s a shame. I feel like we let that one go,” Hammon said.

The Aces will need to regroup quickly for Game 3, where they will look to bounce back from their first loss of the season. The team has shown resilience throughout the season, and their performance in the playoffs has been nothing short of impressive.

As the series moves forward, the Aces will need to address their defensive struggles and improve their execution in high-pressure moments. With the stakes higher than ever, every possession could determine the outcome of the series.