Las Vegas Aces vs. Los Angeles Sparks Prediction, Preview and Odds - 7/2/21
A pair of Western Conference teams lock up on the parquet floor in a WNBA tilt coming to you from the City of Angels. The Las Vegas Aces are on the road as they travel to face the Los Angeles Sparks Friday night in the second game of a two-game set. In the first meeting in this two-game set Wednesday night, it was Las Vegas rolling to a 99-75 victory on the road. That win extended their win streak in the series to five games, including the first two matchups this season. Will the Aces continue their recent hot streak or can the Sparks find a way to slow them down and earn a home victory in this one?
Las Vegas Aces Seek to Keep Rolling
Las Vegas had little problem dispatching Los Angeles in the first game of this two-game set to win for the seventh time in the last eight games. The Aces improved to 12-4 on the season and own the top spot in the WNBA playoff picture entering Thursday: they have the same record as the Storm but have taken two of the three head-to-head meetings. Against Los Angeles, Las Vegas closed the first quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 28-19 lead and never looked back en route to the win. The Aces were up 19 at the half and weren’t pushed the rest of the way to get the win. Las Vegas shot 45.7% from the field, including seven of 22 from three-point range, and owned a 55-39 edge on the glass in the contest. Jackie Young had 18 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals to lead six players in double figures for the Aces.
The Aces come into this contest at the top of the pack in scoring offense, ranking first with 91.8 points per game. Las Vegas is 1st in the league in rebounding (38.8 boards a game) and stand second in the league in assists by handing out 21.1 dimes per contest. The Aces have been average on the defensive end of the floor as they are 5th in the league in scoring defense by allowing 80.7 points a game. A’ja Wilson leads the Aces with 19.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Liz Cambage (14.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks), Jackie Young (12.9 points, four rebounds) and Kelsey Plum (13.1 points) are all solid secondary options on the offensive end. Coach Bill Laimbeer also can call on Chelsea Gray (11.7 points, 6.6 assists), Dearica Hamby (11.3 points, 6.1 boards), Riquna Williams (9.5 points), Ji-Su Park, Emma Cannon and Destiny Slocum to contribute on both ends of the floor. Las Vegas is first in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 47% from the field as a team this season. The Aces are 11th in the league in threes per game (5.2) and third in three-point shooting at 36.7% on the year. Las Vegas is currently fourth in free throw shooting at 84% on the season.
Los Angeles Sparks Hoping to Bounce Back
Los Angeles was clobbered by Las Vegas in the first game of this two-game set for their second straight defeat and fourth in the last five games. The Sparks fell to 6-9 on the season and entered Thursday 10th in the WNBA playoff picture, one game behind the Mercury for the final playoff spot. Los Angeles held a one-point lead with 2:29 to play in the first quarter before things fell apart. The Sparks gave up a 21-2 run over the next seven-plus minutes to trail 39-21 and never recovered. Los Angeles trailed by 19 at the half and couldn’t get closer than 16 the rest of the way. The Sparks shot 34.1% from the field, including seven of 24 from three-point range, and were drubbed 55-39 on the boards in the loss. Amanda Zahui B. led Los Angeles with 22 points and nine rebounds in the loss.
On the season, Los Angeles is 11th in the league in scoring offense as they average 75.7 points per game. The Sparks are last in rebounding (29.7 boards per game) and 12th in assists (14.7) this season. Los Angeles is 6th in scoring defense as they give up an average of 80.7 points a night. Nneka Ogwumike leads the team with 16.4 points plus seven rebounds a game this season. Chiney Ogwumike (nine points, 5.7 boards) and Kristi Tolliver (9.8 points) are solid secondary scoring options. Derek Fisher hopes to get more from role players like Brittney Sykes, Nia Coffey (7.9 points), Erica Wheeler (13.1 points, 4.3 assists), Te’a Cooper (10.6 points), Amanda Zahui B. (11.7 points, 5.8 boards) and Arella Guirantes. Los Angeles is 11th in field goal percentage on the season as they shoot 40.2% from the field as a team on the year. The Sparks are fifth in three-pointers per game (7.6) and 6th in three-point shooting as they convert 34.3% from beyond the arc this season. Los Angeles is 12th in success at the charity stripe as they cash in 73.9% of their attempts on the year. Jasmine Walker was lost for the season with a torn ACL that she suffered against Las Vegas on May 21. Chiney Ogwumike missed the last 12 games with a knee injury and is out indefinitely. Nneka Ogwumike is expected to miss four to six weeks with a knee sprain sustained against the Wings on June 1. She is expected to be out until early to mid-July.
Pick: Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas has cruised to a pair of one-sided victories over Los Angeles this season, prevailing by 28 at home and by 24 on the road. The Aces are hot at the moment and they have the ability to pile up huge point totals on any given night. That’s something that a shorthanded Sparks team simply can’t keep up with when you get right down to it. The Sparks are second-worst in the league in scoring offense, last in rebounding, last in assists, last in free throw shooting and second-last in field goal percentage this season. Those numbers show how vast the gap between the two teams is on the offensive end of the floor. Give the edge to the Aces as they cruise to the win in this one.
Total: Over
Las Vegas hasn’t been slowed by Los Angeles when it comes to doing damage on the offensive end of the floor this season, as evidenced by the 99 points they put up Wednesday night. That marked the 10th time in 16 games that the Aces have put up at least 90 points: they have cracked the 100-point mark on four occasions and have been held under 83 points just twice. Both those contests came against the Sun, and, though the Sparks are good defensively, we saw them struggle against the Aces in the first two meetings on the year. We saw the teams combine for 174 points in the game Wednesday night. After seeing Las Vegas go over the total in each of their last five games, this one heads over the mark as well.
