By: Jennifer Portee
6/7/2026
It took a few games, but the Aces finally gave their home crowd something to celebrate.
In a game that never really let up, Las Vegas leaned on its stars late and finished strong, pulling out an 84-79 win over the Golden State Valkyries to secure their first win at home this season.
And it looked like A’ja Wilson made that decision early this wasn’t going to be one of those nights.
She came out aggressive, controlled the paint, and finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds. That’s now three straight double-doubles for Wilson, who continues to set the tone on both ends of the floor.
But this one needed a closer too and Jackie Young stepped right into that role.
Young was locked in from deep all night, hitting 6 of her 8 threes and finishing with a season-high 27 points. With a game looking like it could go either way, she calmly pulled up and knocked down a three with just over 20 seconds left to give the Aces the lead. From there, it was just about finishing the job and she and Wilson did exactly that at the line.
Chelsea Gray added 12 points, six rebounds, and six assists, and in the process, quietly became the franchise’s all-time leader in assists.
To their credit, Golden State didn’t fold.
Gabby Williams matched Young with 27 of her own and kept the Valkyries right there all game. They fought back late in the first half and carried that energy into the fourth, but every time it felt like they might take control, Las Vegas had an answer.
After the game, I asked Jackie Young about pushing through a moment where she appeared to tweak her ankle and what it meant to finally get that first home win.
“Just playing through it, you know it happens and yeah just tape it up, tie your shoe, and keep it going,” she said. “But yeah it’s super important to get a win at home. It’s important to protect home court, and we haven’t done that yet, so it was important for us to set the tone of what we’re supposed to do at home.”
She made it clear this one was about more than just the record.
“Our fans always show up for us, and it’s our job to put on a show for them.”
Now at 7-3 and riding a three-game win streak, the Aces are starting to feel like themselves again. Not perfect, but connected, composed, and dangerous when it matters most.
And now that they’ve defended home once, the expectation is simple: keep doing it.