A'ja Wilson and Kamilla Cardoso Lead Las Vegas Aces Past Chicago Sky

On Sunday at Chicago’s United Center, the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Chicago Sky 107-99. The win featured a duel between former South Carolina centers A'ja Wilson and Kamilla Cardoso, with the Aces pulling away in the second quarter and holding the lead through the final minutes.

ESPN

Wilson and Cardoso, both products of the University of South Carolina’s championship program, trained together before the game, highlighting the continued influence of the Gamecocks on the professional league.

ESPN

• Wilson recorded 30 points and 15 rebounds, marking her eighth career 30-15 game—a WNBA record—and her 99th 20-10 performance, second only to Tina Charles (109).

ESPN

• Cardoso contributed 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting and eight rebounds, extending a recent stretch of 21.8 points per game over five contests.

ESPN

• Supporting scorers included Jackie Young (28 points, eight assists), Chelsea Gray (18 points, eight assists) and Azura Stevens (24 points, six rebounds).

ESPN

Wilson praised Cardoso’s footwork as “one of the best ever” while acknowledging that the team’s defense “just sucked across the board.” She accepted full responsibility as the anchor and reported that her taped ankle felt “pretty good.” Coach Becky Hammon noted the difficulty of defending Cardoso’s size and catch, saying the Aces “didn’t have a great answer for her tonight,” and added that the victory felt unsatisfactory because they “didn’t beat the Sky, we just outscored them.”

ESPN

Both Wilson and Hammon expressed disappointment with the defensive effort, emphasizing the need for tighter rim protection and noting that the inability to contain Cardoso “hurt us” and fell short of organizational standards.

ESPN

• “It's always so much fun going against her, because Kamilla's footwork is one of the best ever,” — A'ja Wilson, Aces forward

ESPN

• “We didn't have a great answer for her tonight, not very many teams do.” — Becky Hammon, Aces head coach

ESPN

• “Hammon said they didn't beat the Sky, they just outscored them, and that's not the way they want to win games.” — Becky Hammon, Aces head coach

ESPN

• “It just sucked across the board and I'll take full accountability there when it comes to just being the anchor.” — A'ja Wilson, Aces forward

ESPN

The performance underscored the offensive firepower of the Aces while exposing defensive vulnerabilities that the team aims to address before the postseason.

ESPN

The Aces indicated a focus on tightening defensive schemes in upcoming games to translate high-scoring outings into more decisive wins.

ESPN