3 takeaways: Aces earn 4th straight win as Wilson’s record streak ends

The Washington Mystics are indeed “better than their record,” as Aces coach Becky Hammon warned reporters pregame.

But with a 88-77 road win over the Mystics on Saturday at Entertainment & Sports Arena, the back-to-back defending WNBA champions offered a reminder that they’re great enough to afford an off day from their best player.

The Aces (10-6) earned their fourth consecutive win despite the end of star A’ja Wilson’s WNBA record 20-game streak of scoring at least 20 points. The two-time MVP was held scoreless in the first half for the first time in her career, and she finished with 11 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Wilson also became the Aces’ all-time franchise rebounding leader with her third board in the third quarter, passing Sophia Young-Malcolm’s 1,808.

Jackie Young led the Aces with 26 points, while Chelsea Gray contributed 22 in her second start of the season.

Stefanie Dolson had 23 points for the Mystics (4-15), as her shooting from beyond the arc — she finished 5-for-6 on 3-pointers — exposed holes in the Aces’ perimeter defense early.

Here are three takeaways from the victory:

1. Gray, Young shine

Hammon, Gray and Young all said the Mystics’ game plan prioritized taking Wilson and Kelsey Plum out of the offense, which created opportunities for two of the Aces’ other accomplished scorers.

“We all benefit when we play the right way. So when other teams go and they’re trying to pick their poison, we have other players that can put up big numbers,” Hammon said, adding that Wilson and Plum were still important defensively.

Gray went 8-of-9 from the field and was perfect on 3-pointers and free throws (3-for-3 on each). This was her fourth appearance with the Aces this season after missing the team’s first 12 games because of a lower leg injury, but it was her first time scoring more than eight points.

“It’s different from being in practice and then going up and down in a game,” Gray said of her return. “It’s just been a process, mentally and physically. Today, I was just able to take what the defense gave me and have confidence doing that.”

Young, whom Hammon praised as one of the world’s “top-three two-way players,” was 8-for-12 from the floor and 7-for-9 from the line.

The Aces held the Mystics to eight points in the fourth quarter, and Hammon said Young was “phenomenal” on the defensive end.

2. Hayes finding groove

Tiffany Hayes, whom the Aces signed from retirement at the end of May, matched her season-best with 17 points and added four rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench.

She’s shown an ability to be flexible, as she stepped up for a two-game stint in the starting lineup this month while Gray eased into the rotation.

“She’s a spark for us,” Young said. “She can get downhill. She often rebounds for us, she plays good defense. So just having her come off the bench kind of changes the game for us and gives us a different look. And I mean, she can really score the ball. Whenever she comes in, we just start playing a little bit faster, and we’re able to get going in transition.”

3. Mystics matchup

Historically, the Mystics have proven to be a tough matchup for the Aces, and the team lived up to that track record Saturday.

The last time Wilson was held under 20 points in the regular season was when she recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds in a road loss to the Mystics in August 2023.

After the Aces opened to a 5-3 advantage Saturday, they didn’t secure the lead again until late in the third quarter.

The Aces ended the first half down 52-46, giving up seven turnovers while the Mystics hit 10 3-pointers. Dolson was the biggest threat beyond the arc, as she scored back-to-back 3-pointers in the first quarter. She didn’t miss from the 3-point line until the third quarter.

Contact Callie Lawson-Freeman at clawsonfreeman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.