Aces-Lynx Preview
With playoff positioning of vital importance, the Las Vegas Aces can't afford many more setbacks. The Aces look to bounce back from their latest defeat when they visit the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night. Las Vegas (19-10) has already clinched a playoff spot, but its main focus is to secure one of the top two spots in the WNBA standings. With those, come a bye into the semifinals and avoids any single-elimination games. The Aces did not help their cause by blowing an 11-point second-half lead en route to an 89-85 loss at Connecticut on Friday. While the defeat snapped Vegas' four-game winning streak, it also left the squad third in the league standings, 1 '-games behind both the Sun and second-place Washington. Meanwhile, surging Las Angeles is just one game back of the Aces and Chicago 1 ' behind. "We've got to find it from within," forward Dearica Hambry, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench Friday, said via the Aces' official Facebook page. "It's down to crunch time, got to figure it." Liz Cambage (16.3 points per game) scored 18 for the Aces, who began a stretch of playing five of their final six games on the road. Vegas is 7-6 away from home in 2019. "It's going to be tough," Aces star A'ja Wilson (16.1 ppg) said. "Go back to drawing board and see how you can get better." Las Vegas will try to complete a season sweep of the Lynx (14-15), who are seventh in the "W" standings but on the verge of clinching a playoff berth of their own. Napheesa Collier had 19 points and Damiris Dantas added 17 with eight assists as Minnesota lead wire-to-wire to snap a three-game skid with Thursday's 86-70 home victory over Dallas. While Vegas will be spending practically the rest of the regular season on the road, Minnesota played the first of its final four home games in a row. The Lynx close the campaign at Phoenix and Los Angeles, so taking care of business at home is imperative. "Win your home games," said Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve, whose club is 8-6 at home in 2019. "Obviously getting back in the win column is good. Just try to keep this momentum going into this next game on Sunday." Collier (12.3 ppg) has averaged 16.3 points over the last three games, but has scored just eight in each of the first two 2019 meetings with the Aces. |