Jackie Young scored a career-high 34 points and A’ja Wilson contributed 32 points and 15 rebounds to help the Las Vegas Aces snap a three-game losing streak with a 103-99 win over the host Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night.
Young, who also had eight rebounds and four assists, scored the most points in a quarter (21 in the second) in her career.
Las Vegas (6-5) made all 10 of its 3-point attempts in the second quarter, a WNBA record for made shots beyond the arc in a period. The Aces’ 42 points in the quarter were a franchise record for any period.
Wilson finished 10 of 17 from the field and made all 11 of her free-throw attempts.
The Mercury (6-7) were led by Brittney Griner’s 25 points and nine rebounds. Diana Taurasi finished with 22 points before fouling out with 13.5 seconds left and Phoenix trailing 101-97.
Taurasi, 42, has posted 21 games with 20 or more points, topping Michael Jordan for the most by any player age 40 or older in NBA or WNBA history.
Griner, playing her third game of the season after recovering from a fractured toe, cut the lead to 95-93 on a hook shot with 2:00 left.
Alysha Clark made two free throws for Las Vegas with 1:12 remaining and Kahleah Copper answered with a layup eight seconds later to cut the lead to 97-95.
Young then made a turnaround jumper 45 seconds left.
After a Griner jumper in the lane cut Las Vegas’ lead to 99-97 with 39 seconds left, Wilson grabbed an offense rebound and subsequently made two free throws with 25.5 seconds remaining.
Phoenix’s Rebecca Allen missed a 3-point attempt and the Aces’ Kelsey Plum was fouled after Wilson snared the rebound.
Plum, who finished with 16 points, made both free throws with 13.5 seconds left to give Las Vegas a 103-97 lead.
Allen made the last shot attempted in the game, a jumper with 6.8 seconds left.
Phoenix led 28-12 after the first quarter. Taurasi nearly matched the output of the cold-shooting Aces, putting up 10 points.
Las Vegas led 54-51 at halftime behind the 21 points from Young. The Aces shot 13 of 16 (81.2 percent) from the floor in the second quarter as Young made all six of her field-goal attempts, including five from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
