Dana

Evans

While Young didn’t score a ton in the first quarter, she poured it on in the second scoring nine of her 21 total points in the second quarter alone. Young was one step ahead of Monique Akoa Makani and found a way to take advantage of the smallest bits of space coming off of ball screens to be able to make her shots. After a slow third quarter scoring, Young came alive in the fourth and scored 6 of the Aces’ total 14 fourth quarter points. Also, Wednesday night was another evening that put Young’s playmaking on notice as she led the Aces with nine total assists. She found four different teammates including NaLyssa Smith, Jewell Loyd, Dana Evans and A’ja Wilson. Four of Wilson’s 11 field goals came on passes from Young as the combo guard has perfected not only her pick-and-roll chemistry with Wilson but her timing with Wilson. Young can easily get the ball to Wilson right in the spots she likes the most on the floor.

Evans’ two-way production on Friday was a major factor in the Aces’ victory. As she’s done throughout the season, the veteran guard came off the bench and made an immediate impact as a scorer. She notched 10 second-quarter points and then sustained her success the rest of the way, utilizing an impressive nine-point fourth quarter to tie a team-high in points on the evening. On the other end, she was responsible for nearly half of the Aces’ total steals, using active hands and timing to be disruptive at the point of attack. Evans has now scored in double figures in more than half of the Aces’ nine playoff games and will likely continue to play an important role on both ends of the floor throughout the Finals.

Loyd had arguably her best performance of the playoffs on Friday, finishing as one of the Aces’ top scorers on the evening. Hot shooting and an eight-point opening quarter marked the high of her night, although she drained a huge three-pointer in the fourth quarter while the final outcome was still up in the air. Loyd, along with Dana Evans, combined to provide Las Vegas with 39 bench points and seven threes on a night in which Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray were cold from the field. She’ll look to land another strong performance on Sunday in Game 2 of the series.

Young scored the majority of her points in the second quarter once the Fever defense cracked down on A’ja Wilson after she scored 11 points in the first. Almost all of Young’s field goals were assisted as she moved well off the ball and was found cutting and on kick-out three-pointers by primary ball handlers Chelsea Gray and Dana Evans. Young battled all night being guarded by Lexie Hull who while she was dealing with a back injury still made it rather difficult for Young to get free and play her game.

Smith scored a career playoff high on Tuesday night. She was Aces’ most efficient player scoring the basketball, shooting 77.7% from the field. Smith was excellent at finding her spots on the floor and moving without the basketball. All of her field goals were assisted as Kiersten Bell, A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Dana Evans all found her for scores within the paint. Second to Wilson who has nine, Smith provided a lot of support rebounding the basketball, providing seven for the Aces.

Evans was one of the lone bright spots for the Aces’ offense on Sunday. Her impact was felt nearly immediately, checking into the game midway through the first quarter to score four points, dish an assist, and help shave six points off the Fever’s lead by the quarter’s end. The former WNBA champion didn’t make any drastic contributions until the fourth quarter, where her seven points in the frame were a bit insignificant as the Aces trailed by double digits throughout the period. Nevertheless, Evans could be relied on even more on Tuesday when the Aces attempt to tie the series at one game apiece.

With Kierstan Bell (leg) unavailable for Tuesday’s game, Nye made her first career start. Unfortunately for the rookie wing, she could not get untracked offensively in the 92-61 victory. However, that was not the case for reserve guard Dana Evans, who contributed 13 points (5-of-7 FGs), one rebound, six assists and three three-pointers in 20 minutes off the bench. Las Vegas can clinch the two seed in the playoffs with either a win over the Sparks on Thursday or an Atlanta loss to Connecticut the day prior.

Evans followed a 17-point performance in the win over the Mercury with another efficient double-digit scoring outing on Saturday en route to a new season-high in points. She totaled more points than the rest of Las Vegas’ bench combined, and was responsible for half of the team’s three-point makes against Washington. The veteran guard’s scoring was met with significant impact — she finished with a game-high plus-minus (+29). As Evans has heated up over the last couple of games, she’ll likely remain a big part of the team’s success down the stretch of the season.

Evans logged her highest-scoring performance of August against the Mercury on Thursday. She came off the bench and provided efficient shooting, and the bulk of her production came in an 11-point second half. She’s remained one of the more consistent reserve players that Las Vegas has had all season long, and as the Aces continue to roll and potentially move on to the postseason, her scoring consistency off the bench as a veteran player could be valuable for the Aces. She’s now scored in double figures nine times this season.

Bell returns to the starting lineup on Friday after being replaced in the opening unit on Wednesday by Dana Evans. Bell started her first game of the season against the Wings on July 27, and since then, the Aces have won seven of eight games, including five straight heading into the showdown with Phoenix. They’ll look to extend their streak to six games on Friday.