Dream’s chance to beat Aces slips away in final seconds

Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Brittney Griner delivered spark after spark for the Dream, keeping them within striking distance of a statement win over the Las Vegas Aces inside Michelob ULTRA Arena.

In a game defined by 15 ties and nine lead changes, the Dream had their chances late.

But when it came down to crunch time, the Aces’ defense made the difference. Las Vegas forced Howard into two tough looks in the closing moments, shutting the door on the Dream’s upset bid and holding on for a 74-72 win Tuesday night.

The loss drops the Dream to 22-13, pulling them into a tie with the New York Liberty for second place in the WNBA standings.

Dream coach Karl Smesko opened the fourth quarter with a two-big look, pairing Griner with Naz Hillmon. The move paid off immediately. Griner powered in the first four points of the frame, Gray followed with a bucket on the block and suddenly the Dream had strung together an 11-0 run stretching back to the third quarter, their largest lead of the night.

But Las Vegas wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Out of a timeout, the Aces punched back with an 8-0 spurt of their own. The burst ended with A’ja Wilson slipping free off a perfectly timed back screen from Jewell Lloyd, leaving Griner a step behind as Wilson glided to the rim for the layup. A few minutes later, Wilson rose up at the top of the key and buried a smooth jumper, pulling the Aces even at 67.

Momentum swung firmly to Las Vegas late as Lloyd buried a corner 3 and Wilson followed with a midrange jumper to push the Aces ahead 72-69. With under two minutes left, it looked like the defending champs had control until Howard stepped up and drilled a clutch triple to knot the game at 72.

But when it mattered most, the Aces leaned on their star and their defense. Wilson delivered again, getting a soft bounce on a jumper to reclaim the lead. On the other end, Las Vegas locked in, hounding Howard into a contested corner three and forcing a missed floater in the final seconds to secure a 74-72 victory.

Early in the third, Wilson powered her way to the rim to give Las Vegas a four-point cushion. But the Dream refused to let the game slip. Gray answered with a smooth baseline layup — and after the Aces coughed up their eighth turnover of the night — Howard made them pay, knocking down a jumper to even things at 48.

A few trips later, the Dream surged ahead by five, only to see Wilson steady the Aces at the line. The three-time MVP sank four straight free throws across two possessions, trimming the deficit to 55-54. Still, the Dream had the final say in the frame. Howard slashed to the baseline for a tough finish and Griner spun past her defender for a bucket at the rim, sending the Dream into the fourth with a 61-57 advantage.

The Dream carried their spark from the first quarter into the second, stringing together a 9-3 run capped by a Brionna Jones layup to stretch the lead to five. For a moment, it looked like the Dream were ready to seize control.

But the Aces punched back, as Jackie Young buried a jumper and Kierstan Bell sliced to the rim for a layup to steady Las Vegas. The Dream answered with Brittney Griner powering inside for two, only to see the Aces strike again when Young glided to the rim for a finger roll off a Wilson screen to knot things at 35.