August 8, 2026 - 12:38 pm

If this is a potential playoff preview, the Aces will need to find a way to slow down Minnesota’s starting five.

Olivia Miles’ team-high 26 points headlined an offensive performance in which all five Lynx starters scored in double figures, as the No. 1 team in the WNBA secured a 98-87 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday at Target Center and extended its lead over the Aces in the standings.

Miles entered the game leading all rookies in scoring at 19.8 points per game while shooting more than 50 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from 3-point range.

Lynx forward Napheesa Collier also eclipsed the 20-point mark, finishing with 22 points while adding five rebounds and three assists.

Aces guard Jackie Young led Las Vegas with 23 points, while A’ja Wilson struggled to find consistency from the floor, making five of her 17 attempts.

Wilson finished with 16 points, becoming the second player in WNBA history to reach 6,500 points, 2,500 rebounds, 500 assists, 500 blocks and 300 steals, joining Candace Parker.

“It was like swarm ball,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “I thought our spacing didn’t help us at times and just our sense of urgency to get the ball out.

“I thought they dared us to pass today, and we just didn’t pass the ball well enough to beat the good defensive team today.”

Las Vegas (22-10) struggled to take care of the basketball throughout all four quarters, committing 16 turnovers that Minnesota converted into 22 points.

“I had too many (turnovers) on my part,” Young said. “I just need to get rid of it a little bit earlier. Obviously, we know they’re going to be heavy on their low man rotation, so I just have to read that defense a little bit better.”

The Aces also had trouble containing the Lynx from the perimeter after Minnesota (26-7) caught fire early, knocking down four of its first six 3-point attempts in the first quarter.

Minnesota finished the game shooting better than 50 percent from beyond the arc, making 15 3-pointers, while Las Vegas struggled to find the same consistency. The Aces made 10 of 27 attempts from deep, including two 3-pointers on eight attempts in the second quarter.

The turning point came late, as the Aces kept Minnesota’s lead to single digits until the final five minutes of play, when Jewell Loyd was called for a flagrant foul.

The call came on a reckless closeout as Loyd fouled Kayla McBride beyond the 3-point line, leading to a five-point swing and igniting a 7-0 run that extended Minnesota’s lead into double digits.

The Aces will have less than 24 hours to regroup as they have one more stop before completing their season-long five-game road trip.

“I thought we had a pretty clear and basic game plan, and this was probably one of our poorest execution games,” Hammon said. “We’ve got to learn a lot off paper and our film because we just don’t have time to practice. We have to be quick learners in these situations.”

Las Vegas will head to Brooklyn on Sunday to face the New York Liberty at Barclays Center, giving the Aces a second consecutive matchup against a team currently positioned near the top of the WNBA standings.