Las Vegas hosts Washington after Wilson's 22-point game
Associated Press
Washington Mystics (7-8, 5-5 Eastern Conference) at Las Vegas Aces (7-7, 3-6 Western Conference)
Las Vegas; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Aces -8; over/under is 162.5
BOTTOM LINE: Las Vegas Aces plays the Washington Mystics after A'ja Wilson scored 22 points in the Las Vegas Aces' 85-59 win over the Connecticut Sun.
The Aces are 5-3 in home games. Las Vegas is sixth in the Western Conference scoring 80.5 points while shooting 40.0% from the field.
The Mystics are 2-5 in road games. Washington is 1-2 in games decided by 10 points or more.
Las Vegas averages 9.4 made 3-pointers per game, 1.1 more made shots than the 8.3 per game Washington allows. Washington averages 5.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 fewer made shots on average than the 7.1 per game Las Vegas allows.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Aces won 75-72 in the last matchup on May 24.
TOP PERFORMERS: Wilson is averaging 21.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.6 blocks for the Aces. Jackie Young is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games.
Kiki Iriafen is averaging 13.3 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Mystics. Brittney Sykes is averaging 16.6 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Aces: 5-5, averaging 80.5 points, 33.4 rebounds, 16.6 assists, 7.6 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 41.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.9 points per game.
Mystics: 5-5, averaging 78.9 points, 36.4 rebounds, 18.7 assists, 7.7 steals and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 43.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.5 points.
INJURIES: Aces: Cheyenne Parker-Tyus: out (personal), Megan Gustafson: out (leg).
Mystics: Georgia Amoore: out for season (acl).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
recommended
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Drafting Tre Johnson should give Wizards the best shooter in 2025 NBA Draft
WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards' efforts to develop Tre Johnson as a basketball player started two weeks before the team drafted him sixth Wednesday night. On June 12, one day before Johnson's workout for team officials, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins showed Johnson some video clips from Johnson's lone season at the University of Texas. Those film snippets revealed Johnson taking some plays off. Dawkins wanted to gauge Johnson's feel for the game, see how Johnson responds to constructive criticism and also motivate him for the next day's workout. Advertisement Dawkins' blunt feedback helped in the short term. 'I appreciate him,' Johnson said Wednesday night, after Washington picked him. 'I feel like in my workout, he kind of pushed me, and I needed that.' The Wizards soon will begin learning whether it will help in the long term. Johnson, a 6-foot-5 swingman, ranked as perhaps the best shooting prospect in this year's draft after he hit 40 percent of his 3s as a college freshman. However, there are elements of Johnson's game that require significant improvement, including his defense, finishing at the basket and physical strength. 'It's important to be transparent,' Dawkins said after the draft's first round Wednesday night. 'There's a lot to like with Tre. But there are some areas he's got to grow in, just like every other 19-year-old player, and we'd rather address it on the front end, see if he can improve upon it, see what his answers are. It was just fun banter and conversation.' Dawkins was engaging in a bit of understatement there. It wasn't just 'fun banter.' In an ideal world, it will help establish a pattern in which Johnson eliminates his shortcomings and systematically solidifies his strengths. The Wizards need to hit on their selection of Johnson and help him come as close as possible to fulfilling his potential. In that sense, Johnson is no different than Washington's stuffed cupboard of young prospects, which includes wings Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn Johnson, guards Bub Carrington and AJ Johnson and big man Alex Sarr. There is a lot of work to be done. On Wednesday night, Winger and Dawkins made another move. They traded the draft rights to 18th pick Walter Clayton Jr. to the Utah Jazz for the draft rights to 21st pick Will Riley, the 43rd pick, a 2031 second-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick. Riley, a 6-foot-8 swingman from the University of Illinois who won the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year award, has a good feel for the game, drives confidently to the basket and has potential as a playmaker. 'Adding Tre and Will, they're like-minded players,' Dawkins said. 'They have some versatility. They compete. They get after it. And we're going to give them the same runway that we've given all the other players that we've drafted to work on their craft.' The Wizards' front office also had Rutgers wing Ace Bailey high on their draft board, and most likely ranked Bailey higher than they ranked Johnson. However, in one of Wednesday's biggest surprises, at least from the general public's perspective, the Jazz snapped up Bailey with the fifth pick. That had to be painful for Washington. Throughout the final weeks of the 2024-25 season, the Wizards and Jazz raced to the bottom of the league standings, attempting to outtank each other. In their season finale, the Wizards defeated the Miami Heat 119-118 when Carrington hit an off-balance buzzer-beater to end the game. The victory ensured that the Wizards finished with the NBA's second-worst record. Advertisement The Jazz could exit the lottery with no worse than the fifth overall pick, while the Wizards could receive no worse than the sixth overall pick. And that's precisely what happened: Both teams fell to their worst possible draft slots. And now, fairly or unfairly, Bailey and Johnson will be inextricably linked in the eyes of Wizards fans for years to come. Tuesday's trade of Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and this year's 40th pick to New Orleans for CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a 2027 second-round pick will create avenues for Johnson and Riley to play extensively as rookies. 'Both those guys are young,' Dawkins said. 'They've got to get better on the defensive end and just get more efficient where they can. But a lot of stuff is … just catching up with the speed of the game, working on their bodies, improving their habits. Things like that will go a long way. 'But fortunately, these two guys, they 'eat the gym.' They're in there, they're workers and it's in their DNA. So, I feel pretty good about whatever their weaknesses are and at least shoring those up.' (Top photo of Tre Johnson: Steve Roberts / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
NBA prospect Collin Murray-Boyles' reaction after Raptors select him goes viral
Collin Murray-Boyles' dreams of becoming an NBA player were realized on Wednesday night, but his reaction to hearing his name being called at the draft left fans puzzled. The Toronto Raptors selected Murray-Boyles with the No. 9 pick out of South Carolina. The broadcast panned to Murray-Boyles appearing to shake his head and utter an expletive under his breath as he heard that the Raptors selected him. "F---," he appeared to mutter as he stood up at his table. It was either out of shock of the realization that he was turning pro or that it was the team that selected him. Regardless, the NBA world noticed Murray-Boyles reaction and he was asked about it afterward. "Just disbelief," he said, via CBS Sports. "What I said was not a bad thing by any means. Thankful." Even the Raptors made a social media post about it. Murray-Boyles played two seasons with the Gamecocks and made the All-SEC Freshman in his first season and was All-SEC in his second season. He led the conference with a 58.6 field goal percentage in 2024-25. He averaged 16.8 points per game. Toronto could use some offensive firepower after finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference. The team will bring back R.J. Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl and Gradey Dick next year. Add Murray-Boyles to the mix, and the Raptors may be in contention for the postseason once again. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NBA draft winners and losers: Mavs' shot at redemption and the strange tale of Ace Bailey
Cooper Flagg and Nico Harrison The biggest winners of the 2025 NBA draft are Cooper Flagg and Dallas general manager Nico Harrison. Beyond the prestige and financial rewards of being the top pick, Flagg won draft night because he avoided going to a rebuilding team, where it could have taken years to gain playoff experience. Advertisement By landing with the Mavericks, Flagg joins All-NBA veterans Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, whose mentorship should make his learning curve less treacherous. Instead of enduring the tribulations of leading a bottom-feeding team, Flagg will play a key role in helping the Mavs contend for a title in his rookie season – albeit in a packed Western Conference that includes the champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Nikola Jokić's Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers, featuring the Mavericks' former crown jewel, Luka Dončić. Expect Flagg to fit right in as a wing who can play multiple positions and contribute defensively. In turn, Harrison's redemption story begins with the selection of Flagg. After months of enduring intense backlash for trading away a generational talent in Dončić, Harrison gets an unexpected opportunity to rewrite his legacy if Flagg reaches his full potential. San Antonio Spurs The selection of Dylan Harper at No 2 adds to the Spurs' explosive backcourt that already features De'Aaron Fox and rookie of the year Stephon Castle. Harper's ability to put pressure on defenses with his speed and aggression will lead to more open looks and one-on-one opportunities for Victor Wembanyama, already a superstar at the age of 21. They also selected Carter Bryant at No 14, a defensive-minded guard/small forward with a consistent three-point stroke. Advertisement But if the Spurs are contemplating more ambitious moves, they are in prime position to trade a few of their young assets for an All-NBA player like Giannis Antetokounmpo – that's if trade talks ramp up over the next few months. Whatever direction they choose, the Spurs took a step forward on draft night and are closer to making a playoff leap in the Western Conference. Atlanta Hawks The Hawks made several savvy moves this week by acquiring Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team trade. On draft night, the Hawks remained active by sending the No 13 pick to New Orleans for pick No 23. In the exchange with the Pelicans, the Hawks also obtained an unprotected 2026 first-round draft pick that will be delivered via the most favorable position between the Pelicans or Milwaukee Bucks. Advertisement With the loaded Western Conference expected to be even more rigorous next season, the Pelicans will find it difficult to secure a top-eight spot. The impressive coup gives the Hawks an elite asset considering next year's highly-anticipated draft class. With the No 23 pick, the Hawks snagged Asa Newell, a late-lottery prospect who unexpectedly fell to his hometown squad. In an conference that lacks a dominant team due to the achilles injuries of Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, the Hawks used draft week to retool as every Eastern Conference franchise seeks to take advantage of the window of opportunity. Losers Ace Bailey In the weeks leading to this year's draft, Bailey put on a masterclass on how to land in the 'loser' category. Whether his choices came due to bad advice from his reps or the misguided boldness of youth, Bailey's immense talent was overshadowed because of poor decisions which led to negative press. Advertisement The third-best prospect in the draft decided against working out for teams and snubbed the Philadelphia 76ers who owned the No 3 pick. Falling outside of the top three cost Bailey $10m and the opportunity to learn from Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George. Drafted by the Utah Jazz even after declining a workout and interview, Bailey lands on a team that finished with the league's worst record and will be in rebuild mode for the foreseeable future. Bailey has enough talent to bounce back from his draft blunders, but unfortunately, he's already found ways to make rookie mistakes. Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets entered this year's draft with a record five first-round draft picks and proceeded to end the night in infamy. Their first mishap came with the selection of Egor Demin with the No 8 pick. Demin was projected to fall in the mid-first round, so the Nets appear to have overreached by selecting Demin and passing on players with higher ceilings such as Khaman Maluach and Collin Murray-Boyles. Advertisement But the Nets' most glaring faux pas was the act of keeping all their picks. Brooklyn fumbled an opportunity to trade up for a more talented prospect or use the picks to acquire a rising star to build around. It's possible that each draft pick will be serviceable and Demin could make an All-Rookie team. But overall, the Nets made history by selecting five players in the first round while at the same time failing to change the trajectory of their franchise. New York Knicks For Knicks fans, the draft should be known as 'five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges awareness day.' Without a head coach or a first-round draft pick, the Knicks remained dormant on day one. Advertisement After a lively run to the Eastern Conference finals, the Knicks have an opportunity to take control of the East by adding a few key players who could put them over the hump. But in a week when multiple teams traded for picks or other assets, the Knicks' decision to stay on the sideline is not a promising sign as the offseason unfolds. The Knicks, who forfeited their own second-round pick for tampering in the Jalen Brunson signing, will have to wait until the 50th pick (via Memphis) to make a selection. Knicks fans can only hope for more aggressive moves on day two of the draft.
