Hot shooting leads Aces to first-round series sweep

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- The Aces made a record 23 3-pointers and shot a sizzling 64.1 percent Saturday in a triumph that allowed them to sweep their first-round WNBA playoff series against the Phoenix Mercury.

Their 117-80 victory at Michelob Ultra Arena in the best-of-three series also avenged a loss to the Mercury in last year's WNBA semifinals. The Mercury won that best-of-five series and sent the Aces packing.

  • Aces guard Jackie Young (0) knocks the ball away from Phoenix's Kaela Davis in the second half of Game 2 on Saturday night at Michelob Ultra Arena. (AP Photo/John Locher)
  • Aces guard Chelsea Gray celebrates after making a 3-point shot against the Mercury in the second half of Game 2. (AP Photo/John Locher)
  • Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) works to get inside for a shot against the Phoenix Mercury's Kaela Davis. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Aces made a record 23 3-point shots in their decisive Game 2 victory over Phoenix.

Point guard Chelsea Gray led the assault, scoring 27 points, including 7-for-8 from 3-point range. She made 9 of 11 shots overall and both her free throws.

"We're playing our best basketball at both ends," Gray said. "You want to peak at the right time, and for me, individually, that's what I feel like."

The 23-for-36 barrage (63.9%) set a single-game mark for 3-pointers; the Aces shared the previous mark of 18 with two other teams.

Their overall shooting percentage, 64.1 (41-for-64) was second best in league history; Minnesota shot 69.5 percent in a 2012 game. The Aces also set a record by making their first 10 shots.

"I've always told them offense is offense ... I want defense," coach Becky Hammon said. "But, obviously, tonight the offense was special."

A'ja Wilson, who made 7 of 9 shots, including a 3-pointer, said the offensive production was a matter of taking what the defense allowed. "It's something we've been working on," said Wilson, who finished with 17 points. "It's just something that's a part of each of our games."

Kelsey Plum (6-for-10 shooting, including 4 of 6 3-pointers) added 22 points for the Aces, The next for for the Aces is the winner of the Seattle-Washington series; Seattle leads that best-of-three series, with Game 2 on Sunday.

Kaela Davis led Phoenix with 23 points. Diamond DeShields had 21.

Phoenix was without Diana Taurasi, one of the league's best players for a decade, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner and point guard Shey Peddy.

Taurasi missed the series with a quadriceps strain, Diggins-Smith stepped away from the team last week for personal reasons and Griner is being detained in Russia on drug charges. Peddy left in the third quarter of Game 1 with a ruptured Achilles tendon.



from KLAS https://ift.tt/T0pbMFX

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