Game 29 wrap: Always Close Enough To Hurt™ but too much A'ja Wilson gives Aces the edge

Valks cling to 0.5 game lead for 8th and last playoffs spot

• Official Game Box Score

Apricot’s Highly Organized Live Game Notes

• Q3.3.20. Clear “Ref U Suck” commentary. Balhalla rarely taps that particular vein

• Q3.1.26. Defensive signal 1-4

• Q4.9.28. It’s getting more chippy. Evans I think mad about Leite pressure causing a shot clock violation, gives it back into the stands.

• I don’t think there’s going to be a fight, but it wouldn’t exactly be a surprise either

• Q4.5.29. Always Close Enough To Hurt™.  Valks cut it all the way to 3.

• Valkyries run a Warriors play, Horns follow. Carla gets the pass to the rolling Temi - good job. This has been a bit of an adventure for her, hitting the roller. But unfortunately, an even better defensive play, stripping Temi as she goes up for the layup.

• 4.44. Aces confused on offense with Young calling for a screen, not getting it, and then requesting again. Forces Coach Hammon to take a timeout. Big play, LVA up 6, game hovering between a random ending and the Aces pulling away.

• 4.35. Valkyries send three people to A'ja Wilson, which means the Aces rotate the ball until they get an open corner three, which Nye misses. What a gift. 

• Ooh, a second gift as Young fouls Salaun for a super low-percentage steal attempt, gifting her two free throws, which is mana from heaven for a half-court challenge team like the Valkyries. 

• 4.15. The Aces have been attacking the zone by having A'ja Wilson set a flare screen on the far side for a shooter on the left, and the Aces skipping a pass all the way over the top to game. Kaila Charles fights her way around the screen, which blows up the play, and the Aces kindly turn the ball over to ensure that the end will be agonizing. 

• 4.00. Another Horns follow turns into a Temi pick-and-roll. Tip does have an open three, but she misses, sadly. 

• 3.40. Did I mention the Aces were attacking the zone with a weak-side flare screen? Loyd hits the gigantic three, but credit goes to Young, who set a bone-jarring surprise flare screen on Tip Hayes. 

• 3:30. Carla Leite has made a number of wonderful drives today, but that inbounding turnover might be a game-losing one. 

• 2.40. Carla Leite with a pick-and-roll. Sign of respect from the Aces: they send NaLyssa Smith on either a hard show and recover or maybe just a plain old trap, which surprises Carla. She ejects it quickly, then Tip Hayes makes something out of nothing. 

• Interesting that Nakase’s going with the Carla-Tip guard rotation and leaving Veronica Burton on the bench, since she is usually a staple of crunch-time play. The ball handling has been extra chaotic, though, without her. Things feel a little bit disorganized. That play ended up with Temi open from midrange and missing by a lot. 

• 1.25, Valkyries do a desperation trap and get a desperation turnover. I guess the game is not technically over yet. 

• 1.14. Cecilia turns the ball over trying an entry pass. I feel like the Valkyries have a high turnover rate on their entry passes into the post. 

• 0.50. A great quick counterattack by Hayes… 6 points down. Still looking dire, but moral victory of making Coach Hammon call a timeout to yell at her team.

• GSV with some good fight coming back from a 10 point deficit. Their spirited defense and tricky shifts between zone and one-on-one keep them in games you wouldn't expect they'd stay in. But when the game turns into a rock fight, it's good to have A'ja Wilson on your team, and she was the difference—not only pouring in 27 points on super high efficiency but also setting a bunch of screens in the fourth quarter to free up her teammates when the Valkyries tilted the defense towards A’ja.

Valkyrie Valor

Last game’s winner Iliana Rupert is not eligible…