NaLyssa

Smith

Smith returned to the Aces lineup after sitting out Sunday’s win over Chicago. With Tuesday’s rematch being a blowout, she only logged 23 minutes and finished a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Megan Gustafson, who started on Sunday, only played three minutes while Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and Kiah Stokes logged eight apiece. Depending on what Atlanta does in its game against Connecticut on Wednesday, the Aces will know whether they need to beat the Sparks on Thursday to secure the two seed for the playoffs. If Atlanta loses, Gustafson, Parker-Tyus and Stokes could handle most of the rotation minutes in Los Angeles.

While Smith returns to the lineup after sitting out Sunday’s win over Chicago due to concussion protocols, the Aces will be without Kierstan Bell (leg). Instead of going back to Jewell Loyd, Aces head coach Becky Hammon has tabbed Nye to fill the void. The rookie starting means Loyd can remain in the reserve role, which has worked so well for the Aces since she was moved to the bench in late July.

After sitting out Sunday’s win over the Sky, Smith has cleared concussion protocols and will play in Tuesday’s rematch. Her return means Megan Gustafson heads back to the bench, where he streaming value takes a significant hit.

Smith was held out of Sunday’s win over the Sky, with Megan Gustafson logging 17 minutes as her replacement in the starting lineup. While Smith is questionable for Tuesday’s rematch, she remains in concussion protocol, which is not good news regarding her availability. Gustafson may make another start if Smith sits, but this would also mean more playing time for Kiah Stokes off the bench.

Gustafson will make her first start of the season, replacing NaLyssa Smith (concussion) in the Aces’ opening lineup. Gustafson began the season sidelined with a leg injury, but returned in early July and has posted averages of 2.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks in the 17 games she’s appeared in. With her promotion to the starting unit on Sunday, Kiah Stokes figures to be a reserve player who could see more action as the Aces look to win their 14th straight game and reclaim the second spot in the WNBA standings.

Smith did all of her damage in the fourth quarter, where she scored all of her 11 points. Chelsea Gray found Smith on a mismatch which allowed her to drive and score on the smaller Aziaha James. Later in the quarter when Wilson was almost triple teamed, she made the horizontal pass to a cutting Smith to her right. Smith’s final two scores were open three-pointers that Gray and Jackie Young found her for without a Wings defender in sight.

While the first half belonged mostly to 3X MVP A’ja Wilson, Young was who carried the Aces offensively in the second half where she scored 19 of her total 26 points . She hit three of her four three-pointers in the second half including the final dagger left that put away the Storm over the outstretched arms of 6'6 center Dominque Malonga with 52.6 seconds remaining in regulation. Young continues to establish herself as one of the Aces primary facilitators following a down year from Chelsea Gray. She found three different teammates in Wilson, Jewell Loyd, and NaLyssa Smith on a bunch of open threes and on off ball movement on pick-and-roll or on cuts to the basket.

While Wilson scored inefficiently, she still powered her team to their third win in a row following the Aces’ embarrassing 111-58 loss to the Lynx on August 2. She began her scoring creating looks outside both the low and high posts. She then scored the basketball in the paint and at the rim.
She scored most of her points in the first half while in the second half her focus turned more to getting on the glass where she had seven rebounds out of her total 12. Wilson’s 12 rebounds helped her tie Tangela Smith for 23rd on the WNBA All-Time rebounds list with 2,335. Two of her three assists were to front court partner NaLyssa Smith, finding her on a high-low action in addition to a shovel pass inside the paint. Also, Wilson took advantage of Skylar Diggins’ over help on her in the third quarter and found Chelsea Gray for a wide open three-pointer on a drive-and-kick.

Young was less efficient shooting the basketball on Wednesday night, only shooting 38.5 percent on 13 total shots. There were multiple moments against the Valkyries when Young took the brunt of the scoring load, accounting for over 50 percent of the team’s scoring in the second, third and fourth quarters following a first when the Aces intentionally established A’ja Wilson to start the game. Young scored mostly via getting downhill in addition to coming off a couple of screens set by Wilson and NaLyssa Smith. Young’s chemistry with Wilson showed itself on Wednesday night as three of Young’s four assists were on possessions where she found Wilson right in spots where Wilson likes to score the ball the most.