On a night when A’ja Wilson struggled to find a consistent rhythm, the Las Vegas Aces were able to steal Game 1 of the WNBA Finals against the Phoenix Mercury thanks to Dana Evans and Jewell Loyd off the bench.
After the Aces’ 89-86 victory, head coach Becky Hammon praised the “huge” performance from the bench as being the biggest difference in the game.
“We have weapons. We want to use them all because we’re harder to guard that way,” Hammon said. “It was just a really great time for our bench to come up and have a big game. … Oh my goodness, our bench was huge.”
The Aces got 41 of their 89 points from the bench, with Evans and Loyd contributing 39 of them. They accounted for nearly half of the team’s 33 made field goals, shooting a combined 16-of-29 from the field.
Evans and Loyd were so impactful in the game that Hammon kept them on the court with Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young for the final quarter. It was a brilliant move because Evans, in particular, made a huge difference with nine points on 3-of-4 three-point shooting.
The Aces needed those contributions because they trailed by four entering the fourth quarter. Evans’ second three of the period gave Las Vegas a 78-77 advantage, its first lead since early in the third quarter.
Prior to Friday night, Evans highest scoring outing in the playoffs was 14 points in Game 1 against the Indiana Fever. She dropped 21 against the Mercury. Loyd’s 18-point effort was her highest-scoring game since the regular-season finale.
Las Vegas needed those contributions because Wilson was held in check, at least by her usual standards. The four-time MVP finished with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, though she did add 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Aces were able to steal a win despite the Mercury doing a good job overall. They will look to take a 2-0 lead when these two teams meet in Game 2 at Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
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