Jackie Young, A'ja Wilson go off as Aces take 2-0 Finals lead over Mercury

LAS VEGAS — Jackie Young and A'ja Wilson combined for 60 points, leading the Las Vegas Aces to a decisive 91-78 win over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday. Young scored 21 of her 32 points in the third, setting the record for the most points in a single WNBA Finals quarter, while Wilson scored 20 of her 28 points in the first half to propel the Aces to a 2-0 series lead before it shifts to Phoenix for Games 3 and 4 Wednesday and Friday. The Aces still need to win two more games to clinch the first best-of-seven WNBA Finals in history. Las Vegas secured Game 2 in the complete opposite manner in which it won the series opener. After relying on a once-in-a-lifetime game from their bench to steal Game 1 after their stars faltered, the Aces got a banner performance from a duo in Wilson and Young that is quickly becoming the most potent the league has seen. Chelsea Gray (10 points, 10 assists) was the only other Aces player to score in double figures, and Wilson added a game-high 14 rebounds. Kahleah Copper scored 23 points, Satou Sabally had 22 points and nine rebounds and Alyssa Thomas put up 10 points to pace the Mercury. Las Vegas stretched its lead to 17 points in the third quarter and held firm control with a 76-61 lead going into the fourth, thanks to an outburst from Young that saw the All-Star guard score 21 on a torrid 8-of-11 shooting (2-of-4 from 3) in the period. The Aces led by as many as 22 points in the final frame. The Aces took control with a dominant second quarter, outscoring Phoenix 22-10 to bring a 46-37 lead into the locker room at halftime. Wilson led all scorers in the first half, recording 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting in addition to grabbing eight rebounds. The MVP's first-half output also marked just the third time a player scored 20 points in the first half of a WNBA Finals game. After Copper built on a hot first quarter by putting Phoenix ahead 33-27 with her first attempt of the second, Las Vegas broke through with a 19-6 run to close the second quarter. Wilson poured in 13 points to anchor that stretch. The Mercury led 27-24 after a first quarter where both teams traded runs. Copper came out of the gates scorching just like she did in Game 1, leading all scorers with 11 points in the frame on 4-of-5 shooting overall and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. Phoenix opened the game on a 12-5 run, but the Aces immediately answered with a 13-4 run of their own to grab a brief first lead of the game on a Gray pull- up with 3:17 remaining in the quarter. –Will Despart, Field Level Media

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