ESPN SoCal 

Connor Wieseman 

After the Las Vegas Aces visited the White House and celebrated their 2022 WNBA Finals championship, the Washington Mystics used their magic to pull off an upset win against the number one team in the league, 78-62. 

The Aces flew into Washington after breaking the all-time WNBA regular season win record, expecting to add another win the record column. Unfortunately that didn't happen. 

The Mystics almost took entire control of the first quarter as they were up 13-4 over four minutes into the game. The Aces were able to find some breathing room and add points to the scoreboard, only to trail 17-19 at the end of the first quarter. 

At the end of the first half the Aces took the lead, 30-27, as the Mystics only scored eight points in the second quarter. Aces' guard Jackie Young and guard Kelsey Plum hit two big 3-pointers each to keep the lead. 

The third quarter was a back-and-fourth battle resulting in the Mystics taking the lead at the end, 52-48. It was all Mystics in the fourth quarter which resulted in a win and keep the team's playoff hopes alive.  

Mystics' forward, Elena Della Donne, lead the team in points scoring 21 after coming back from a hip injury. Donne had support in scoring as guard Ariel Atkins put up 16 points and forward Brittney Spikes added 14 points. 

As for the Aces, Plum lead the team in points after making 21. Forward A'ja Wilson added another double-double to her season as she scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. 

The Aces play the New York Liberty, the second best team in the league, on Monday, Aug. 28 at Barclays Center. 

Connor Wieseman 

ESPN SoCal 

Aug. 25 - The Las Vegas Aces visited the White House Friday to celebrate their 2022 WNBA championship team win. 

Aug 25, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces gifts a jersey to Vice President Kamala Harris during an event to celebrate the team’s 2022 WNBA championship victory at The White House. Mandatory Credit: Josh Morgan-USA TODAY

Vice President, Kamala Harris, led the ceremony and congratulated the team. Harris received her Las Vegas Aces jersey from forward A'ja Wilson before she spoke on the microphone. 

"They remind everyone that Las Vegas is so much more than just 4 miles on the strip," Harris said. "because in addition to being champions on the court, these leaders are role models and leaders off the court." 

Harris would go on and share that the Aces organization supports student mental health and wellness, and fights for equal pay.

The Aces became the first professional sports team to win a championship for Las Vegas. 

According to ABC News, President Joe Biden was not at the ceremony as he is on family vacation in Lake Tahoe.

Connor Wieseman 

ESPN SoCal 

Aug. 25 - History was made Thursday night as the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Chicago Sky in Wintrust Arena, 94-87, earning their 30th victory and most regular season wins in WNBA history. 

Las Vegas Aces' guard Kelsey Plum (10) reacts after a referee calls a foul on a Chicago Sky player during a game on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS)

Aces surpassed the 2014 Phoenix Mercury record (29-5) with six regular season games remaining to increase the new record. 

After being down 37-50 at halftime, the Aces were able to take the win by responding back from being out-rebounded and causing turnovers in the first half.

"Our defense was horrendous in the first half," Aces' head coach Becky Hammon said in the postgame press conference, "and then it was very, very good in the second half. And that was the difference of the game." 

Four out of five players of the Aces' starting lineup made an impact by putting up double-digit points.

Aces' guard Jackie Young had the most team points as well as obtaining a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. 

Aces' forward A'ja Wilson came into the game after previously tying the all-time most points in a game with 53 against the Atlanta Dream. She managed to put on another great performance by earning a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Sky. 

Aces' guard Chelsea Gray went 8-13 in field goal shooting scoring 19 points and dishing out 10 assists, giving herself a double-double. 

On her birthday, Aces' guard Kelsey Plum put up 23 points with five 3-pointers and 8 free throws, five assists and three rebounds. 

On the opposing side, Sky's guard Marina Mabrey had the most team points with 22. Center Elizabeth Williams almost came up with a double-double putting up 17 points and nine rebounds. 

The Aces next game will be this Saturday as the team plays away against the Washington Mystics. 

Connor Wieseman 

ESPN SoCal 

Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson (22) celebrates after scoring during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the New York Liberty at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS) @ellenschmidttt

Aug. 23 - Tuesday night the Las Vegas Aces won against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday 112-100. Along with that came a record-setting performance from center A'ja Wilson, as she tied the WNBA record for most points in a game. 

The two time MVP put up 53 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. The points scored included 20 of 21 free throws made. Wilson became the 2nd player in WNBA history with 20 made free throws in a game, joining Cynthia Cooper who made 22 in 1998.

Wilson scored 31 points in the second half, which tied for the third-most in a WNBA half behind Riquna Williams and Diana Taurasi. 

Wilson's 45th point of the game passed Kelsey Plum's team record for the most points in a season in Aces history. Plum scored 726 points in 2022, and Wilson is now at 735 points.

"I'm out there having fun," Wilson said in an interview with fans, "I get an opportunity to play with some amazing women. I get to come to work every single day to play basketball, so I don't take these moments for granted." 

Other big contributions to the Aces' win came from Chelsea Gray's triple-double with 16 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, and Kelsey Plum's 20 points. 

This season, Wilson currently leads the league in blocks per game (2.1) , second in rebounds (9.5), third in points (22.3) and fifth in field goal percentage (54.2%). Wilson is looking to obtain another MVP season with these statistics. 

The Aces are currently in 1st place in the WNBA standings with a record of 29-4. This record is tied with the 2014 Phoenix Mercury for all-time season wins in league history, and the Aces have seven more games remaining this regular season.