Aces kick off four-game road trip in New York

Aces hit the road for four games after Friday’s postponement

“Mama said there’d be days like this,” Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer said Friday night. “From how bad we played, to this earthquake and Washington again with a postponement. It is what it is.

“I’m disappointed in the way we showed up. It’s very frustrating. I’m searching for answers or combinations of players who want to get out there and get after it. They’re going to have to learn. Now we go on the road for four games, and we’ll see how we do there.”

Play was suspended at halftime of Friday’s game against the Washington Mystics. Slight shaking due to the earthquake that rocked southern California was noticeable from within the Mandalay Bay Events Center in the final minute of the first half.

The overhead scoreboard could be seen swaying ever so slightly, a chief safety concern in this type of event. NBA Summer League play at Cox Pavillion, which does not have an overhead scoreboard, resumed while games at Thomas & Mack Center were called for the night.

The Aces did not get a full 40 minutes to prove that they had progressed in their ability to compete with a bonafide championship contender stemming from a June 20 23-point home loss at the hands of the Mystics.

Sloppy turnovers continued to haunt the Aces as the Mystics got out to a 16-4 start and led 51-36 at the break.

“We never had energy to begin with,” Laimbeer said. “It was embarrassing for all of us, and we have to find a way to lock in more mentally. So far, we haven’t been able to accomplish that.”

“I got energy from [Tamera Young],” Laimbeer added. “She came in and provided energy and some stability for us. I thought A’ja [Wilson] got off to a good start and then Liz [Cambage] got going, but by that time it was too late.

“And the rest of us were just running around. I don’t know where we were at. You can’t find combinations that fast that’ll work. I tried. Sydney [Colson] gave us energy, but she can’t shoot—or won’t shoot—so I have non-scorers out there. [The Mystics] have a lot of shooters. We don’t. So that’s something we’re going to have to address in the long-term.”

The Aces will get another crack at the Mystics on July 13 in D.C. after playing the Liberty and Fever—two teams they’ve defeated in the past month—before wrapping up the pre-All-Star road stretch in Seattle.

Questions as to what the WNBA will do in attempting to get Las Vegas and Washington together again to finish the game will be looming over the road trip. Regardless, a game in Washington’s building presents the Aces with another opportunity to prove that they can put together a full 40 minutes against elite competition.

“I told them I was disappointed that we didn’t show up again for a big game,” Laimbeer said. “Jackie [Young]—she’s supposed to push the ball—she just walked the ball up. I don’t understand how we can come out with that kind of flatness again. It’s been worrisome, but like I keep saying, we have to learn. This is year two of three.

“Everybody wants it to happen now, but as you can see, it is not. Because they don’t know how. Or they don’t have it within them. And this whole year, that is what I’m trying to find out is who are we and what we’re about.”

Make-up date proposals

Here’s a quick rundown of my best on-the-fly suggestions for a Mystics-Aces make-up date.

• No. 1 of 5: July 12, in D.C.

The Aces have an afternoon tip in Indiana on the 10th; the Mystics host Phoenix on the 10th. This could be a half-to-back with the teams scheduled to play their third and final matchup of the regular season on the evening of the 13th in D.C. already.

It just might be the most convenient option. For one, this is the last time both teams will be in the same place at once during the regular season. You’d also be finishing the game sooner rather than later, removing the worry that something could come up later to complicate future make-up plans.

• No. 2 of 5: July 16, in Las Vegas

Both teams could catch a flight out after playing in D.C. on the 13th and each have two days to get to their next city for road games on the 19th—the Aces play in Seattle; the Mystics play in Indiana.

Washington, of course, would be breaking up a precious five-day stretch—much of which could be spent in their own beds and on the practice floor—without a game by booking a cross-country flight for 20 minutes of basketball.

This could be seen as the most practical option in finishing the game on the Aces’ home floor while affording both teams ample travel and recovery time to get there.

• No. 3 of 5: July 26, in Las Vegas as part of Friday’s All-Star festivities

Bear with me on this one. The Aces host Seattle on the 23rd, so they’ll already be home. Washington plays in Minnesota on the 24th. At least a player or two, and possibly the entire Washington coaching staff, will be headed to All-Star.

Consider the business side of the 16th versus the 26th. Would the Aces be able to get a crowd out in full-force for half of a game on a weeknight? Fans are already planning on being in the building on the 26th. Inserting an actual regular season into All-Star may sound strange, but again, it should be considered seriously if the league intends to afford the Aces every opportunity to finish it as a true home game.

• No. 4 of 5: August 6, in Las Vegas

The Mystics play in Phoenix on the 4th and host the Fever on the 8th; the Aces play in Dallas on the 3rd and host the Sky on the 9th.

Washington will already be in one of the closest WNBA markets two days prior, but this time the Aces would be breaking into a key five-day stretch to get in some extra practice and/or recovery time.

The margin for error from Washington’s perspective is a bit dicey. They’d potentially have the 7th to return home on a cross-country flight and prepare for a home game on the 8th. The schedule as-is has a more forgiving three-day cushion after their game in Phoenix.

• No. 5 of 5: August 29, in Las Vegas

The Mystics host the Sparks on the 27th and play in Dallas on the 31st; the Aces play in Indiana on the 27th and host the Sparks on the 31st.

Repeat the same concerns here as for the August 6 date. Washington would have all of one day to pack in a cross-country flight, prep for the game and still get some rest. Doing this so late in the season also would leave zero wiggle room should something go awry.

In order, I think options No. 3 then 1 are the best bets. Working the completion of the game into All-Star Friday gives you the best chance to draw fans in, and many Washington players may already hope or attend to travel to Las Vegas for the weekend.

Option No. 1 doesn’t give the Aces the chance to complete the game at home, but that tradeoff seems reasonable compared to breaking up a long stretch of off-days later in the season for either team and forcing Washington to add another cross-country flight onto their schedule.

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