Dominique Malonga’s three-point play with 31 seconds left capped a furious late comeback as the Seattle Storm defeated the Las Vegas Aces 86-83 on Tuesday night, evening their first-round playoff series at 1-1.
Skylar Diggins led Seattle with 26 points and 7 assists, while Nneka Ogwumike added a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double. Malonga contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Erica Wheeler scored all 11 of her points in the final quarter, fueling the Storm’s closing 16-4 run.
Las Vegas, which squandered a 14-point third-quarter lead, was led by Jackie Young with 25 points and A’ja Wilson with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists. Former Storm star Jewell Loyd added 13 points but missed a potential tying three-pointer in the closing seconds.
Seattle trailed 75-63 with just over seven minutes left before Diggins and Wheeler sparked the rally. Malonga’s go-ahead play gave the Storm their first lead since the second quarter, and Diggins sealed the win with a late jumper.
The loss ended Las Vegas’ 16-game winning streak, dating back to August 2, and sets up a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday in Las Vegas.
