Williams, Plum lift Aces past Mercury in Game 1 of semifinals

One triumph down. Five to go.

The Aces began their quest for the franchise’s archetypal WNBA title Tuesday with a 96-90 triumph implicit the Phoenix Mercury successful Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals astatine Michelob Ultra Arena.

Riquna Williams scored 14 of her team-high 26 points successful the archetypal quarter. and Kelsey Plum added 20 of her 25 points successful the 2nd half. Chelsea Gray had 17 points and 12 assists earlier an announced assemblage of 7,009 that included a brigade of Raiders — including Darren Waller, Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards Maxx Crosby, Johnathan Abram, K.J. Wright and Casey Hayward.

Utah Jazz prima Donovan Mitchell was besides seated courtside — on with NBA fable and Jazz number proprietor Dwyane Wade, adding to the energetic ambiance the accompanied the archetypal playoff crippled successful Las Vegas since Sept. 24, 2019.

“Packed house. A batch of radical came retired tonight. I deliberation arsenic we proceed to play passim the series, I’m hoping we’re capable to get adjacent more,” Plum said. “It was conscionable truly chill that they came out. They had large energy. We provender disconnected of that.”

The Aces hadn’t played since Sept. 19, having earned the No. 2 effect — and a treble bye into the semifinals — by finishing the regular play with a 24-8 record. They won 2 of their 3 meetings with the Mercury, though starters connected some teams played constricted minutes successful the regular-season finale.

The Mercury arsenic the No. 5 effect had to triumph single-elimination games against the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm to clinch their berth successful the semifinals.

Advantage, Las Vegas. At slightest successful Game 1.

The Mercury really opened a 36-27 pb by spreading the level astir halfway Brittney Griner, who buried jumper aft jumper astatine the apical of the key. But the Aces turned the tide by sending an other defender successful her direction, thereby discombobulating Phoenix’s discourtesy and unleashing their ain modulation offense.

Las Vegas uncorked a 15-2 tally to prehend a 52-49 lead. Plum went to enactment successful the 3rd quarter. And A’ja Wilson helped adjacent successful the 4th with 3 consecutive baskets en way to 15 points and 9 rebounds arsenic Phoenix began to consciousness the fatigue of its 3rd playoff crippled successful six days.

“When we’re capable to get stops and play successful modulation similar that, we’re precise hard to guard,” Gray said. “We were capable to acceptable our halfcourt defence and it allowed america to play with our schemes and not play 3-point enactment to 3-point line.”

Aces manager Bill Laimbeer praised the play of his guards, who combined for a specified 4 turnovers successful 116 minutes of corporate playing time. He said helium isn’t definite yet however he’s going to deploy halfway Liz Cambage, who scored 7 points successful 9 minutes amid foul occupation arsenic she continues to retrieve from COVID-19.

“Where? What? Who? Where? How? I don’t know,” helium said. “Each crippled is going to beryllium different.”

But that tin hold for Game 2 connected Thursday.

“I’ve said from Day 1 erstwhile I was player, many, galore years agone — guards triumph successful playoff games due to the fact that they tin create,” Laimbeer said. “If you instrumentality distant our guards, we spell inside. You instrumentality distant inside, we spell to the guards. At the extremity of the day, we’re hard to guard.”

Griner led the Mercury with 24 points. Teammate Diana Taurasi scored 20 connected 6-of-17 shooting.

Taurasi appeared to tweak her near ankle precocious successful the 4th fourth and wore a protective footwear to the postgame property conference.

She insisted she would beryllium fine.

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.