A'ja Wilson contributed 27 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists as Las Vegas defeated Toronto 88-78 on Sunday, Aug. 23, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The victory pushed the Aces' overall record to 26-13, with a 9-4 mark across a 13-game, 26-day stretch.
Wilson had been listed as a game-time decision but performed at a high level from the outset. Converting four of five attempts, she tallied nine points in the opening quarter while consistently exploiting gaps at the midrange, helping Las Vegas establish a 25-22 advantage. A Wilson jumper put Las Vegas up 14-9, prompting Toronto to call a timeout, with Young having converted a short-range floater in the paint. Gray beat the shot clock with time to spare, while Talbot converted a three-pointer.
Chihiro Yamamoto delivered a three-pointer with 42.8 seconds left in the first quarter. Prior to tipoff, Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon described Yamamoto as a reliable contributor to the team, highlighting her defensive intensity, physical presence, and overall energy levels. Three of Yamamoto's closest relatives — her mother, grandmother, and sister — were seated in the stands as she stepped onto the court in Vancouver.
Finishing with a 63 percent field goal clip, the Aces converted 10 field goals while distributing eight assists throughout the opening quarter. The visiting side also held a 9-3 advantage on the boards.
Chances to extend the lead arose for Las Vegas in the second period, yet ball-handling errors allowed Toronto to remain within reach. Las Vegas accumulated five turnovers in that period, bringing their total to seven by the break. Yamamoto contributed a noteworthy play at the 7:08 mark, creating a turnover and converting the technical free throw that followed Isabelle Harrison's technical foul call. Heading into that stretch of the campaign, Yamamoto had converted all nine of her free-throw attempts.
A three-pointer from Young extended the advantage to 35-26, and Talbot added a scoop shot shortly after, as Wilson continued scoring against Toronto from beyond the arc and at midrange. After building a 10-point advantage, Las Vegas surrendered six consecutive points to Toronto before the interval. At halftime, the Aces held a four-point lead of 43-39, despite converting 56 percent of their attempts and outrebounding their opponents 14 to 11.
Las Vegas started opening up space in the third period. Following a three-pointer from Wilson, NaLyssa Smith collected an offensive rebound and converted the putback to push the score to 52-43. Smith settled into a productive rhythm during the period, contributing eight points. By the end of the quarter, Wilson had recorded six assists, while Las Vegas pushed its advantage to as many as 11 points.
Smith fell to the floor near the basket with 3:08 remaining in the third quarter. Her left knee gave way as she landed, and she reached down to clutch it immediately. Smith subsequently received assistance and was examined by the Aces' team athletic trainer. No injury report had been released by the time the final whistle sounded.
One player logged 19 minutes on the floor, tallying eight points, eight rebounds, three steals, and a block before sitting out the remainder of the contest.
Heading into the final period, Las Vegas held a 66-57 advantage. Wilson and Young produced a run at a point when Toronto required a late contribution: Wilson hit a fadeaway jumper, Young pushed ahead in the open floor, and Wilson added a running layup. Following a pair of free throws from Wilson, Yamamoto drained a three-pointer to push the margin to 79-61 with 6:04 remaining. Las Vegas extended its lead to 20 points, with Young hitting a mid-range basket and Gray completing a three-point play. With the final minutes approaching, head coach Hammon turned to reserve players Justine Pissott, Kierstan Bell, and Ta'Niya Latson to close out the game.
Shooting 10 for 15 from the floor, Wilson reached her 190th career outing with at least 20 points, drawing level with Tina Charles for second place on the all-time WNBA list. Diana Taurasi holds the record at 259 such games. Yamamoto contributed nine points and two steals across 22 minutes of play, with relatives watching from the stands.
The Aces connected on 52 percent of their field goal attempts, accumulated 40 points in the paint, and generated 15 turnovers from Toronto. The team's attention turns to Smith's availability following the third-quarter incident. The Toronto Tempo are scheduled to face Las Vegas at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Friday, Aug. 28, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. PT.
