From the lows of the early season, the Las Vegas Aces have risen to one of the most dominating winning runs the franchise has ever seen. After defeating Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury in the battle of MVP candidates, they stretched their streak to nine wins, matching their longest since moving to Las Vegas in 2017. It was A’ja Wilson who won the battle against Thomas, beating the Mercury 83-61 despite her triple-double. Wilson’s 19 points and 13 rebounds boosted the Aces, but it was not a one-woman show like it has been for many games. 

Four other players chipped in with double-digit points, including 17 from Dana Evans from the bench, as they closed out a dominating game. Becky Hammon’s squad is cruising at 23-14, but they’re treating every matchup like it’s do-or-die. “We got another game in two days,” Hammon said after the game, “But my belief in this team has never wavered.” The Aces will be coming up against a young Washington Mystics side who are in the battle of their life for that playoff spot. 

The Mystics are in a tough stretch of games after starting the season strong. They gave the Connecticut Sun their first back-to-back wins. Losing to the comfortably worst side in the league in consecutive games is not a very good sign for the Sydney Johnson-led side. Sonia Citron was once again their leading scorer in their last game with 15 points. But they were just blown away by Tina Charles’ antics. Even with this bad patch, the Mystics have an outside chance to sneak into the playoffs, and they do have a positive record against the Aces this season. Let’s look at how both teams will fare against each other in this vital game for the playoff race. 

Las Vegas Aces Vs Washington Mystics: Injury Report

Las Vegas Aces:

The Aces remain injury-free, as even Cheyyen Parker Tyus could return for the postseason after giving birth to her child on July 1. She has been spotted participating in shoot-arounds at practices, but for this game, she remains ruled out. 

Washington Mystics:

Jacy Sheldon remains on the sidelines for the Mystics with her ankle injury, along with Georgia Amoore, who suffered an ACL tear before the season even began. 

Las Vegas Aces Vs Washington Mystics: Where To Watch

Day And Date: Saturday, Aug. 23

Time: 3 p.m. ET

Location: CareFirst Arena, Washington, District of Columbia

TV Channel: Vegas 34, MNMT, KMCC-34 

Live Streaming: WNBA League Pass, Fubo

Las Vegas Aces Vs Washington Mystics: Predicted Lineups

Las Vegas Aces:

• NaLyssa Smith
• Kierstan Bell
• A’ja Wilson
• Chelsea Gray
• Jackie Young

Washington Mystics:

• Shakira Austin
• Kiki Iriafen
• Sug Sutton
• Sonia Citron
• Jade Melbourne

Las Vegas Aces Vs Washington Mystics: Match Preview And Prediction

Just when we were discussing how Wilson-dependent the Aces have been, they go out and turn the tables on Phoenix. The Mercury were considered a more team-oriented team before that game, and the Aces proved people wrong. They have evolved back into the fearsome side that they have been for the last few years. The Aces are a tiger on the prowl, while the Mystics look helpless considering their form. The Washington-based side has lost 7 out of their last 10 games, and their inexperience has finally caught on. 

Their star rookies, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, are still delivering the same performances day in and day out, but they aren’t producing the desired results. Their dwindling offense was already on the edge throughout the season, and it was the defense that kept them afloat. But the attack has dropped further in the last 10 games, from their season-wide average of 78.6 points per game, they have dropped to 77.2. 

That is only better than the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun, and they are not numbers for a playoff team. So while their defense remains airtight, conceding only 80.6 points per game, their offense is just not doing enough. That is largely due to their rookie surprise running out. “Now you get scouted and it’s like, oh, those first one or two looks that you have normally gotten, those are gone, and it’s now Look 3 and Look 4 and Look 5,” Coach Johnson has said. 

Even when we consider all this, the Mystics are still matching Aces when it comes to ball movement. Both languish seventh in the league in the last 10 games with 20.3 assists per game. The difference is that the Wilson-led side has 3 fewer turnovers per game, turning things in their favour. Along with the pure talent in that roster is currently way better than whatever the Mystics can offer.  Hammon’s side has lost 2 of its three games against this Mystics side this season, giving them more fuel to turn that record. 

As you expect, the Aces are the favourites at 64.2% chance to win this game according to ESPN’s win predictor. The Mystics are make-or-break in this game if they want to qualify, which could bring out a different game than what we have recently seen. It makes for a spicy context with two teams on different ends of the spectrum