Las Vegas Aces Hold Strong As Golden State Valkyries Fall Short In Epic Showdown

The Las Vegas Aces edged out the Golden State Valkyries in a thrilling 104-102 victory on Saturday afternoon, sealing the win in the final moments of a tightly contested game. Fans were treated to high-scoring action and clutch plays as the Aces held strong under pressure to claim the close win.

The sold-out game had many exciting moments on and off the court. From special guests sitting courtside to welcoming back some fan favorites, it was a slam dunk Saturday afternoon in Sin City.

Saturday afternoon at Michelob ULTRA Arena inside Mandalay Bay on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip was the place to be for an action-packed WNBA game between the Las Vegas Aces and Golden State Valkyries.

The packed house marked the 36th straight sold-out game in Vegas.

Star A'ja Wilson played 33 minutes, scoring 34 points in her first game back after a wrist injury. Jackie Young scored 30 points, which includes the team's final 10 points of the game. Chelsea Gray contributed 6 points, and Jewell Loyd added 15 points. Aces player Dana Evans hit her 1,000-career point.

"Once an Ace, always an Ace." Fans stand by that saying and love to welcome back former Aces players.

Saturday afternoon offered the opportunity to welcome back two former Aces players - Kate Martin and Tiffany Hayes. A short video honoring them played on the Jumbotron before the game during warm-ups and the audience cheered loud and proud for their return to the Vegas court.

The Aces signed Hayes during the 2024 WNBA season and welcomed her back to Vegas with a video of some of her best moments from last season. She signed a one-year contract with the newest team in the league, the Valkyries last offseason.

Martin was drafted by the Aces in the second round during the 2024 WNBA draft. Her story gained tons of attention when it was revealed that she wasn't expecting to be drafted and was only at the draft to support her friends.

Wilson, who recently released her first signature shoes, the Nike A'One, has been debuting new colorways at games, and every single one gets tons of attention.

During Saturday's game against the Valkyries, she wore her newest shoes inspired by "Rugrats" character Susie Carmichael.

Sole Retriever on Instagram recently shared a photo of the new shoes and fans took to the comments to give their thoughts.

"Aja doing it for the culture. Tiana, now Susie," one viewer wrote. Another added, "WTF?!!! They keep getting better every time I see em." One other fan said, "I think I am going to start collecting wnba players shoes. They’re (fire emojis)."

Just like other Aces games, the celebrities were out for the excitement. And with NBA 2K26 Summer League in town at the moment, there are even more celebrities than usual roaming around Las Vegas and making appearances at events, games, and attractions.

Spotted at the Aces game on Saturday - Savannah and Zhuri James (LeBron James' wife and daughter.)  They were also spotted at NBA Summer League on Thursday night supporting Bronny James during the LA Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks game.

Also courtside for the Aces game was Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey and NHL star Logan Thompson.

The next game for the Aces is away against Dallas Wings on Wednesday, July 16.

Then it's back home to face Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, July 22, before hitting the road again to verse the Indiana Fever on Thursday, July 24. Then the Aces are off to Minnesota to play the Lynx on Friday, July 25, and back to Dallas to face the Wings again on Sunday, July 27.

For full schedule, visit their website.