Aces at Storm (9/17)

A. How the Aces Won

The Las Vegas Aces started their playoff run with a dominant 97-68 win at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The Aces were led by A'ja Wilson's 23 points and 11 rebounds. Chelsea Gray also had a strong game, scoring 17 points and adding 5 assists.

The Aces took the lead for good in the second quarter. They forced the Storm into 15 turnovers. After finishing the first half up by 8, they went on to outscore the Storm 25-15 in the third quarter, a lead of 28 going into the fourth.

The Storm was led by Breanna Stewart's 22 points and 10 rebounds. Jewell Loyd added 14 points.

B. Aces' Playoff Preparation

After winning the Commissioner's Cup Championship and securing the number one seed in the playoffs, the Aces had a long break before facing the number eight seed Storm. Aces head coach Becky Hammon used this time to experiment with different starting lineups and put players in different positions on the court. Aces guard Kierstan Bell credits this to their success in the first playoff game.

Wilson has been a dominant force for the Aces all season and showed great leadership in the first playoff game. She will need to continue to play at a high level in order for the Aces to keep winning.

C. The Road Ahead

The Aces will face the Storm again on Tuesday in Seattle for Game 2 of the series. If the Aces win, they will advance to the semifinals. If the Storm wins, the series will go back to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Thursday.

The Aces are a heavy favorite to win the series and advance to the semifinals. However, the Storm is a veteran team with a lot of experience in the playoffs. The Aces will need to be at their best in order to win.