Las Vegas Aces Face Toronto Tempo Without Injured Starter NaLyssa Smith

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Aces Look to Rely on A’ja Wilson as Tempo Continue Struggles Before WNBA Break

The Las Vegas Aces will look to maintain their momentum when they host the Toronto Tempo before the WNBA enters its FIBA World Cup break. However, Las Vegas will enter the matchup without an important frontcourt player after NaLyssa Smith suffered a season-ending injury.

The Aces recently announced that Smith will miss the remainder of the season because of a left leg injury. The injury occurred during Las Vegas’ previous matchup against Toronto, a game the Aces won 88-78.

Smith has been an important contributor for Las Vegas this season, averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while providing additional support alongside four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson.

Wilson expressed her support for Smith following the injury, highlighting the impact she has had on the team.

Aces Continue Strong Defensive Stretch

Despite losing Smith, Las Vegas enters the matchup with confidence after putting together a strong defensive run.

The Aces have held opponents below 80 points in four of their last six games, winning each of those contests. Their recent defensive improvement has helped the team remain competitive heading into the league break.

However, Las Vegas has also shown some inconsistency. In their two losses during that six-game stretch, the Aces allowed more than 90 points, showing that maintaining defensive intensity will remain important.

With Smith unavailable, Las Vegas will likely rely even more on A’ja Wilson to lead the frontcourt on both ends of the court.

Toronto Tempo Searching for Answers During Difficult Stretch

The Toronto Tempo enter the matchup facing major challenges. The expansion team has lost 14 of its last 15 games and continues to struggle on both offense and defense.

Toronto has had difficulty generating consistent scoring recently. During its recent 15-game slump, the Tempo have failed to reach 85 points in nine games.

Their struggles continued in the previous matchup against Seattle, where Toronto suffered a 90-78 loss during the first game of a three-game Western road trip.

Defense has also been a major issue for Toronto. The Tempo currently rank last in the WNBA in scoring defense, allowing 93.6 points per game.

Injuries Continue to Impact Toronto’s Season

A major reason behind Toronto’s struggles has been the team’s injury situation.

Leading scorer Marina Mabrey, who averages 20.8 points per game, has missed time, while Brittney Sykes, another key offensive contributor averaging 18.6 points per game, has also been unavailable.

With several important players sidelined, Toronto has been forced to rely on younger players and expanded roles throughout the roster.

Rookie guard Kiki Rice has recently taken on more responsibility. After scoring 24 points against Seattle, Rice discussed the importance of learning through mistakes and adapting to a larger role.

Key Matchup Factors
A’ja Wilson’s Leadership

Without NaLyssa Smith, Las Vegas will need another strong performance from A’ja Wilson. Her ability to score efficiently and control the paint will be a major factor against Toronto’s struggling defense.

Toronto’s Offensive Efficiency

For the Tempo to compete, they must find ways to improve their scoring consistency. Avoiding slow offensive starts and creating easier scoring opportunities will be essential.

Defensive Battle

Las Vegas has shown improvement defensively, while Toronto has struggled throughout the season. The difference in defensive performance could determine the outcome of the game.

Final Outlook

The Aces enter the matchup as the stronger team despite losing NaLyssa Smith. With A’ja Wilson leading the way and a defense that has improved recently, Las Vegas has the advantage.

Toronto will need an efficient offensive performance and a major defensive improvement to challenge the Aces, especially with several key players still unavailable. Kiki Rice Jersey