Aces vs. Tempo: A'ja Wilson Scores 27 as Las Vegas Beats Short-Handed Toronto 88-78 in Vancouver

The Toronto Tempo threw a party in Vancouver on Sunday, packed 15,877 people into Rogers Arena, and then had to spend the evening hosting A'ja Wilson. That is a tough guest to plan around.

Wilson finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Jackie Young added 21 points, and the Las Vegas Aces beat a short-handed Tempo team 88-78. It was Toronto's second straight game in the building, two days after an 82-79 win over Portland ended a 12-game losing streak. The sequel did not get the same ending.

Toronto Kept Knocking, Vegas Kept Answering

This one was close enough to be interesting for about 25 minutes. All three lead changes happened in the first quarter, the last one on a NaLyssa Smith bucket early in the game, and Las Vegas held the lead for 94% of the night. Wilson had nine points in the opening period as the Aces went up 25-22.

The Aces stretched it to 43-33 late in the second quarter after a Smith layup, but Toronto finished the half with six straight points to make it 43-39 at the break, then got a bucket inside from Isabelle Harrison early in the third to cut it to 43-41. That was as close as it got.

Las Vegas responded with a 9-0 run that pushed the margin to 54-43, the kind of stretch that turns a competitive game into a manageable one. The Tempo kept scrapping and got within five late in the third, but the Aces scored the final four points of the quarter for a 66-57 edge, then opened the fourth with a 13-4 burst. At 79-61, the drama was over. Toronto scored the last seven points of the night to make the final look more respectable.

Wilson, Doing Wilson Things

Wilson's night was efficient to the point of feeling routine: 10-of-15 shooting, 6 of 8 at the free-throw line, seven boards, seven assists, two steals, a block and just one turnover in 30 minutes. She had nine in the first quarter and nine more in the fourth, according to the team.

The Aces' notes also put some context around it. With 27 more points, Wilson is at 935 for the season through 36 games, which moved her past her own 912 from 2023 and Breanna Stewart's 919 from 2023 on the league's all-time single-season scoring list, into fifth place. Next up on that list is the 937 she scored in 2025, and Las Vegas says she needs 65 more points for her second 1,000-point season. It was also her 29th 20-point game this year, and the 191st of her career, passing Tina Charles for second-most in league history behind Diana Taurasi. She has now scored in double figures in 60 straight games, which the Aces say leads the league.

Young was the steady second option. She scored 21 on 9-of-18 shooting with five assists, the 20th time this season she has reached 20 points, per the team. She went 1 of 7 from 3, which tells you how much she got done inside the arc. Together, the two stars accounted for 48 of the 88 points and 19 of the 34 field goals. Chelsea Gray had nine points and seven assists without a turnover, posted a game-best plus-21 and, per the Aces, now sits three career steals behind Becky Hammon's 488. Stephanie Talbot (9 points on 4-of-5 shooting), Smith (8 points, 8 rebounds, 4-of-4 shooting) and Mai Yamamoto (9 points, two 3s) all made their minutes count. Las Vegas played without Dana Evans (left leg).

Toronto Ran Out of Bodies

The Tempo deserve credit for sticking around. The AP listed five Tempo players out: Marina Mabrey (adductor), Aneesah Morrow (left knee), Brittney Sykes (left foot), and Nyara Sabally and Maria Conde (both calf). The team announced Sunday that Sykes and Morrow, both hurt in the first half of Friday's win, are done for the season.

Even so, five Tempo players reached double figures. Kia Nurse led the way with 19 points off the bench, hitting four 3s. Kiki Rice had 14, Temi Fagbenle 13, Harrison 12 with seven rebounds and Laura Juskaite 11. Toronto actually shot better from deep, going 10 of 27 to the Aces' 5 of 20. The problem was everything else. Juskaite committed seven of Toronto's 15 turnovers, the Aces collected 11 steals, and Las Vegas shot 52% to Toronto's 44%.

Nine Straight Ended the Upset Talk

The 9-0 run early in the third quarter. Toronto had just erased almost all of a 10-point deficit, and another upset was suddenly in play. Las Vegas needed less than two minutes to end that conversation, and the Tempo never got back within one possession.

The Aces' Math

• 11: Las Vegas steals, part of a 15-turnover night for Toronto.
• 52% to 44%: The field-goal gap, with the Aces at 34 of 65.
• 40-34: Aces' edge in paint points.
• 5 of 20: Las Vegas' 3-point shooting. The Aces won comfortably anyway.
• +21: Gray's plus-minus, the best of the night.

A Half-Game From Second

Las Vegas is 26-13 and has won two straight, and the AP notes the win pulled the Aces within a half-game of second-place Golden State. They are also 14-6 on the road and 2-0 against the Tempo this season, having won 109-83 in Toronto in July. The rematch comes quickly: the Aces host Toronto on Friday, the first time the Tempo will visit Las Vegas.

Toronto drops to 11-26 and heads to Seattle on Wednesday. The win over Portland showed the Tempo can still steal a game with a thin roster. Sunday showed how hard that is to repeat against a team with this much top-end talent.

You Can't Schedule Around the Sun

There is a version of this game where Toronto rides the crowd and its bench and makes the Aces sweat into the final minutes. That version needed Wilson to have an off night. She did not have one, and at this point in her career, scheduling around that is like planning a picnic around the sun deciding not to come up.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Injury news as reported by the Associated Press; milestones per the Las Vegas Aces.