VIDEO: WNBA Sees More Trash-Talking as Things Get Heated During Dream vs Aces Game
Heated altercation during Dream vs Aces (Image Source: X/WNBA)
Since Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Draft with the Indiana Fever, the interest surrounding the league has increased severalfold. While the ladies are grabbing more attention, things are getting more competitive on the court. The same happened during the game between Atlanta Dream and Las Vegas Aces.
During the game’s final quarter, Dream guard Aerial Powers got into the face of the Aces’ Jackie Young. This came after Dreams took the lead by 2 points after making a late comeback.
Dream and Aces gettin chippy 😳
(via @WNBA)
pic.twitter.com/krwgW6Qk7C— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 1, 2024
As things got chippy, referees and other players intervened to separate the duo. Powers walked away and continued trash-talking while hyping the crowd.
By the end of the night, the Atlanta side got the dub to hand the Aces their second defeat of the season.
Aces Suffer Second Loss of Season
The Aces had a bright start to the season with back-to-back wins in the opening two games against the Phoenix Mercury and LA Sparks. The Phoenix side handed the Aces their first loss of the season in their third game. Friday night’s loss to the Dream was the Aces’ second loss of the season despite A’Ja Wilson’s game-high 28-point performance.
The center went 12-27 from the field while cleaning the board 9 times and dished out 3 assists. Kelsey Plum added 19 points from 33.3% shooting and Jackie Young chipped in with 15. Plum reached the 400 3-pointer mark during the game as she went 3 of 12 from beyond the 3-pts arc.
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For the Dream, Alisha Gray scored 24 points in the 34 minutes she played. Rhyne Howard added 16 on the scoreboard in the late fightback from the home side.
In the next game, the Aces will face the Dallas Wings on June 6, while the Dream will hope to extend their winning run to three against the Connecticut Sun on June 3.
WATCH: Tempers Flare Between Players as Atlanta Dream vs Las Vegas Aces Clash in Intense Showdown
Jackie Young, Aerial Powers (Image Source: Twitter)
Things heated up in the closing seconds of Atlanta Dream’s thrilling victory over the reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces, on May 31. With just 1:25 left in the game, Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces and Aerial Powers of the Atlanta Dream became furious.
Aerial Powers and Jackie Young got in each other’s faces and started yapping. As the Atlanta Dream was getting closer to a decisive victory over the considerably stronger Aces, Powers appeared more enthusiastic than Young.
Players from the Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, and match officials intervened to defuse the dispute. Both players assessed technical fouls.
“She (Jackie Young) told me I wasn’t really like that. And I said, ‘I’m really like that,’” Aerial Powers stated following the game before they were split up.
In terms of shooting on Friday, Jackie Young and Aerial Powers both had typical games. Coming off the bench for the Atlanta Dream, Powers scored seven points on 1-7 shooting from the field. Although Young scored 15 points, the point guard for the Las Vegas Aces shot just 4-15 from the field. As per the stats on WNBA.com, Young also had five assists and six rebounds.
Atlanta Dream Wins Their Biggest Game of the Year
In front of their home fans at Gateway Center Arena at College Park, the Atlanta Dream defeated the reigning champion with more hustle, earning their most significant victory of the year. In a close game, the home team prevailed 78-74 after a fierce battle.
The 29-year-old shooting guard Allisha Gray was the star for the Atlanta Dream, scoring 24 points and shooting 6-7 from three-point range. Gray had three assists and four rebounds as well. With 16 points, Rhyne Howard was the only other member of the Atlanta Dream to score in double figures.
Superstar A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces put up another strong MVP-caliber performance, but it was in vain. The current MVP of the Finals finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks. The Las Vegas Aces’ offensive surge came from Jackie Young (15 points) and Kelsey Plum (19 points), but it wasn’t enough.
After the victory, the Atlanta Dream has the third-best record in the league, improving to 4-2 on the year. However, the Las Vegas Aces dropped to 4-2 on the season with the most recent setback, and they’ll need to bounce back soon.
