The Las Vegas Aces beat the Chicago Sky 98-90 in overtime Friday night without A'ja Wilson, and NaLyssa Smith was the reason it didn't matter. Smith posted a season-high 29 points and 8 rebounds on 11-of-14 shooting, and Chelsea Gray hit two clutch jumpers in the final minute of overtime to seal it. Jewell Loyd added 19 points. The Aces won short-handed. That's the story.
Wilson missed her second consecutive game with a right ankle injury. That detail is what makes the win both impressive and complicated for bettors. An Aces team that closed as a favorite while missing its four-time MVP still found a way to cover, which tells you something about the depth of this roster when Smith is locked in. But Wilson's status going forward is the real variable. Every game she misses shifts the line several points and inflates opponent win probability, depending on the matchup.
For Chicago, this result stings. The Sky went to overtime with the Aces at less than full strength and still lost by 8 in the extra period. That's a concerning output for a team trying to establish itself as a legitimate contender. It won't move Chicago's futures price in a favorable direction.
What to watch: Wilson's practice participation in the next 48-72 hours is the number-mover. If she's back, the Aces return to being one of the most difficult teams to beat outright or against the spread. If she misses a third game, the line on their next contest compresses further and the market will keep pricing them as a different team. Smith's performance also puts her player props back on the radar, but those stay inside the subscriber list.
Three other WNBA plays qualified this morning, including a line tied directly to Breanna Stewart's 36-point performance for New York.
