Article Author:
Reuters
Kelsey Plum scored 22 points and Chelsea Gray added 17 as the host Las Vegas Aces beat the Phoenix Mercury 79-63 in Round 1 of the WNBA playoff series on Wednesday. .
Jackie Young had 16 points, Keir Stokes had 14 rebounds and Aja Wilson had 12.
Diamond DeShields had 18 points and eight rebounds, Megan Gustafson and Sophie Cunningham each added 12 points, and Briana Turner led the No. 8 seed Mercury with 16 rebounds.
Mercury will play without Britney Griner, who has been in a Russian prison since February, without Diana Taurasi (quads) and Skyler Diggins-Smith (personal), guard Shay Her I lost my pedi. He injured his lower leg in the 3rd quarter. Peddy never returned.
Plum's 3-pointer opened the scoring in the third quarter and gave Las Vegas her 45-37 lead.
Las Vegas extended the advantage to her 9 before back-to-back layups from Gustafsson and Kaela Davis pulled Mercury away to her 49-44. The Aces maintained a 51-46 lead at the end of the third quarter after each team scored just nine points in the period.
Gustafsson scored his first four points in the fourth quarter to bring Phoenix within one of him, but Gray scored his fifth consecutive point to give Las Vegas the lead. widened to his 60-51.
Gray's jumper pushed the gap to 66-55, with less than four minutes remaining before the ace pulled away.
DeShields scored his 7 points and Mercury took his 12-7 lead.
Young's 3-pointer gave the Aces their first lead at his 19-18, with the hosts holding onto his 21-20 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
The lead changed his twice at the start of the second quarter, and his 3-pointer for Gray completed his 9-0 run to give Las Vegas his 30-22 lead. .
Young's 3-point shot gave the Aces their biggest first-half lead, he went 35-24, before Peddy hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Phoenix gave him 42-37 at halftime. assisted with a basket for Cunningham as they drew to .
– Field Level Media
