Jackie Young’s – A’ja Wilson posted 28 points and 14 rebounds, Jackie Young scored a season-high 27 with a 6-for-8 night from 3-point range, and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Golden State Valkyries 84-79 for their first home win of the season.
LAS VEGAS — The lead swung late, but the Aces stayed steady enough to turn it into their first home victory of the season.
A’ja Wilson finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds, while Jackie Young went 6 of 8 from 3-point range and scored a season-high 27 as the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Golden State Valkyries 84-79 on Saturday. Chelsea Gray added 12 points, six rebounds and six assists for Las Vegas.
Wilson’s impact wasn’t just big — it was consistent. It was her third consecutive double-double and her fifth this season.
The numbers kept telling the same story for Las Vegas: the defending WNBA champions improved to 7-3. and after back-to-back losses they’ve now won three straight. It also came with a milestone for Gray. whose 1. 134 assists moved her past current Aces coach Becky Hammon (1. 133) into first place on the franchise’s career assist list.
Down the stretch, the game turned into a sequence of immediate answers. With 52.9 seconds left, Wilson hit a jumper from the left. Gabby Williams answered with a layup, then Young delivered the dagger — a pull-up 3-pointer at 24.2 seconds remaining to give the Aces a two-point lead.
Both Young and Wilson then hit two free throws each to seal the win.
For Golden State, Gabby Williams carried a lot of the scoring burden, finishing with a career-high 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Veronica Burton added 15 points, Janelle Salaun scored 11 and Kayla Thornton had 10.
The Valkyries started strong and pushed their momentum into the second quarter. Golden State made a statement early with Williams making a layup to open the scoring. and the Valkyries kept the only lead for a stretch before Tiffany Hayes’ 3-pointer put Golden State ahead 61-58 with 8:48 left in the game.
Even with that swing, Las Vegas stayed close through the first half. Golden State scored 14 of the final 19 first-half points and led 38-35 at halftime.
Wilson helped stabilize the early rhythm, outscoring the Valkyries 14-13 in the first quarter as the Aces took a seven-point lead. Thornton and Salaun each hit two of Golden State’s five second-quarter 3-pointers.
There was also an injury note that weighed on Las Vegas. Chennedy Carter (leg) missed her second consecutive game.
After this win, the Aces’ schedule turns quickly to the road. They host Seattle on Monday.
Golden State’s next test is just as fast: the Valkyries host Phoenix on Tuesday. The teams also already share momentum from earlier this week — the Aces beat the Valkyries 91-81 on Sunday in San Francisco.
WNBA Las Vegas Aces Golden State Valkyries A’ja Wilson Jackie Young Chelsea Gray Gabby Williams Veronica Burton Janelle Salaun Kayla Thornton