Aces End Losing Streak With Come From Behind Victory Over Fever

Unlike Friday night, when her team lost to the Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon had a smile on her face in the post-game press conference.

She had just witnessed her team coming back from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat the Indiana Fever 89-81 in Las Vegas. The Aces had entered the game on a three-game losing streak and had lost five of their last six contests.

The team has never lost four straight under Hammon and it was not about to start on Sunday.

"This was one of our more complete games of the year," Hammon said. "We are not there yet, but we are getting closer."

The Aces did not start off well and dug themselves in a huge hole.

Fever guard Caitlin Clark had her way around the paint as she hit Aliyah Boston on the back-door cutter time and time again for the easy layups. Clark dished out 10 assists in the game, all of which came in the first half. She had eight assists in the first quarter before the Aces clamped down on her.

Boston led all scorers with 26 points. She was 12-of-19 from the field and was hitting mostly layups in the first half coming off of bounce passes from Clark.

"We have to guard pick and rolls better," A'ja Wilson said after the game. "We have up too many points in the paint. She (Clark) kept killing us with the back-door cuts."

Wilson felt she had to apologize for her putrid first half. She was 2-of-13 from the field and could not buy a basket. She exploded in the second half and finished the game with 24 points and seven rebounds.

"I have to apologize to everyone because that was not an A'ja Wilson type of game," Wilson said following the game on ESPN.

Speaking of having an uncharacteristic game, Clark was 1-of-10 from the 3-point line. She was 0-7 in her last game so she is a combined 1-of-17 in her last two starts from downtown. She could not find her shot, but she did score 19 points and dished out 10 assists, most of which came in the first half.

"They were getting into the paint too easily and she kept hitting the back-door cutter," Chelsea Gray said. "We made some adjustments and took that away in the second half."

The Aces, who trailed early, fought back in the middle of the third quarter and played good, solid basketball in the fourth. Hammon said this is what was missing Friday night against Seattle.

"I saw a gritty factor that I have not seen," Hammon said. "That's a good sign. They did not quit and they kept sticking to their assignments."

For the second game in a row, the Aces got quality minutes out of Alabama rookie Aaliyah Nye. Nye chimed in with 11 points and was 3-of-5 from behind the arc.

"She plays the right way and you absolutely have to respect her shooting ability, She knows how to shoot the basketball, " Hammon said. "Defensively, she is also very good and she self adjusts real well when she does make a mistake."

Wilson agreed.

"Roll Tide has done a great job for us and she is a real threat," Wilson said. "I have to tell her at times to take the shot because she is so unselfish. She spreads the floor and opens up space for me to do what I do."

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