Kayla McBride sparks Las Vegas Aces to 75-70 win at Dallas

Aces center Liz Cambage didn’t travel to Dallas to play against her former team.

Turns out she didn’t need to.

The Aces opted to rest Cambage on Saturday night, but still escaped Texas with a 75-70 win over the Dallas Wings at College Park Center.

Kayla McBride scored a team-high 21 points for Las Vegas and buried a crucial corner 3-pointer with 29.6 seconds left. She followed with two free throws 10 seconds later, and the Aces (15-7) forced a turnover on Dallas’ ensuing possession to secure a crucial victory as they jostle for position in the WNBA standings.

Rookie guard Jackie Young scored a career-high 17 points, and Carolyn Swords, starting for Cambage, had season highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds in a career-high 34 minutes.

“We know that the league is incredibly competitive. Anyone can win on any given night,” Swords said. “We need to do what we can to get wins. Control our own destiny one game at a time and keep moving forward.”

Las Vegas had defeated the Wings twice this season and traveled to Dallas without Cambage, the franchise’s former star who requested a trade in January. Swords was impressive in her place, crashing the glass and finishing around the rim, but the Aces still struggled against an inferior Wings team that played particularly well before a spirited home crowd that had hoped to see Cambage.

The Aces committed 17 turnovers — several of which were unforced — and shot 3 of 14 in the third quarter while squandering a 42-37 halftime lead. But Young made a key 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter and followed with two free throws to provide a 67-61 cushion.

Arike Ogunbowale made three 3-pointers for the Wings in the final 2:36, but McBride negated those heroics with the clutch plays of her own.

Dallas had an opportunity to tie the score after McBride’s free throws, but Young intercepted a pass with 8.4 seconds left and made two free throws.

“I just came out and played a lot harder, just aggressive from the start,” Young said. “I think the biggest thing is playing hard, just having the confidence to make plays.”

Ogunbowale had a game-high 24 points for the Wings (6-16).

“We can’t turn the ball over in crucial times like we did tonight,” Las Vegas coach Bill Laimbeer said. “We can’t miss defensive assignments like we did tonight. We can’t miss free throws like we did tonight. All the above leads to losses, but we’re fortunate we got a win on the road.”

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Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.