After uncharacteristically dropping two of their last three games, the host Las Vegas Aces are looking to get back on track against the Portland Fire in each team’s first game after the All-Star break.

A’ja Wilson poured in 38 points against the Washington Mystics in the Aces last game on July 22. However, the Mystics managed to erase a nine-point deficit in the final four minutes to steal the victory at home. The Aces’ previous loss on July 12 was among their most humiliating of the season, a 109-75 defeat to the Indiana Fever at home, in which only Wilson and Jackie Young reached double-figures in scoring.

“The key for us is when we don’t defend, we lose,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said after losing to the Mystics. “Giving up 100 points, a 29-point fourth quarter, we’re not going to win those games. We’re 0-3 when we do that. In our losses, we give up 95 points, so the defense wasn’t good enough … We’re not where we want to be, obviously. Until we start playing defense, we’re not a serious team. We’re just not. We have to play that end of the floor.”

The Aces have faced the Fire twice this season and both matches were in the Rose City rather than on the Strip. Wilson dominated both meetings, scoring 32 points in both a 105-89 thrashing on June 11 and in a closer 88-80 effort on July 9. Carla Leite led Portland in scoring in both games, with 18 in the first meeting and 13 in the second.

“I think last time with Vegas they were really deliberate to basically make sure our pick and roll handlers weren’t getting downhill into the paint,” Fire coach Alex Sarama said. “I think we just have to be more deliberate with the spacings we’re getting to and then our cover solutions, if we know that something’s being taken away.”

Leite is the Fire’s top scorer this season, averaging 15.3 points along with six assists per game. It’s been a tough start for the first-year expansion team in Portland, which began the season 6-6 but has lost 10 of its last 15 games. The Fire went into the All-Star break on a two-game losing streak, allowing 101 points in back-to-back games against the Minnesota Lynx and Dallas Wings.

Poor defensive efforts have been a pattern for the Fire all season, as they rank 13th out of 15 teams with 90.6 points allowed per game. Meanwhile the Aces rank third in the league offensively with 91 points per game.

–Field Level Media

The New York Liberty return from the WNBA All-Star break on Tuesday with the first date in a three-game road swing, facing a Los Angeles Sparks team looking to turn around its season.

The Sparks (10-16) went into the break on a five-game losing skid and with losses in eight of their last 10 games overall. Los Angeles began its slump following a 98-97 win over New York (15-12) on June 21, which was the last time standout guard Kelsey Plum played.

Plum averaged 23.9 points and 6.4 assists at the time of sustaining her lower leg injury. Although the Sparks organization offered no clear timetable for her return, ESPN reported that Plum said she would “be back next week” during a July 23 public appearance.

Eleven-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike led the Sparks through the tumultuous month heading to the break, including posting double-doubles in each of the last four contests. She is averaging 17.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

While Los Angeles has had consistent scoring contributions from Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby, who is averaging 14.8 points per game, Plum’s absence looms offensively in other ways. The Sparks committed 18 turnovers their last time out, an 86-82 loss to Phoenix on July 22, including seven in a pivotal third quarter.

“They’re the live-ball (turnovers),” Los Angeles coach Lynne Roberts lamented about the nature of the turnovers. “(Phoenix) had 20 points off our turnovers, and that’s the game.”

The Sparks are averaging 14.3 turnovers per game, which is more than all but four teams in the league. Turnovers have contributed to Los Angeles allowing a league-high 93.3 points per game.

New York visits having not generated many takeaways on the season — the Liberty’s 11.2 turnovers forced per game are the fewest in the league — but New York does rank in the top-five for scoring defense, allowing 86.2 points per contest. The 97 points the Liberty notched in their last matchup with Los Angeles marked the first of seven games in the Sparks’ last 11 in which they gave up 96 points or more.

New York snapped a four-game losing skid before the break, scoring 99 and 95 points in one-point wins over Dallas and Chicago. Sabrina Ionescu helped fuel the Liberty with 29 points in the July 22 defeat of Chicago and 21 points on July 20 at Dallas.

Ionescu has scored 21-plus points in four of New York’s last five outings.

Teammate Jonquel Jones, who posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double her last time out with New York, returns to the court on Tuesday fresh off winning Most Valuable Player of the WNBA All-Star Game. Jones came two assists shy of a triple-double, finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds en route to becoming the league’s first player to win All-Star, regular-season, Finals and Commissioner’s Cup MVP honors.

“Every time I put that (Liberty) jersey, I know I represent a city that loves that game,” Jones said following the All-Star Game.

–Field Level Media

UNLV coach Josh Pastner published a statement on social media Monday to address previous comments he had made about seeking financing for his team.

In an interview with TV station KTNV in Las Vegas last week, Pastner made his pitch for a backer to emerge for UNLV’s NIL efforts, telling fans, “You can be the owner of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels Men’s Basketball Team.”

He went on to explain further: “You don’t have to spend over $1 billion to own our team (like an NBA team). I’m asking for $10-12 million to own our team, and you still get a great tax write-off.”

Pastner, who made his UNLV debut last season with an 18-17 record after long runs at Memphis and Georgia Tech, wanted to clarify those remarks on Monday.

“The Runnin’ Rebels are not for sale, and my reference to an ‘owner’ was meant to highlight the level of resources, sponsorships and overall support needed to compete in today’s evolving college athletics landscape — not to suggest anyone could own the program,” he said. “This program belongs to UNLV, its students, alumni, fans and the Southern Nevada community and always will.”

The 48-year-old Pastner succeed John Calipari at Memphis and posted a winning record in each of his seven seasons with four NCAA Tournament appearances.

He parlayed that success to land the gig at Georgia Tech, where he couldn’t duplicate the same level of winning, making just one tournament with four losing seasons over seven years.

Pastner has been outspoken about having fewer resources to work with at UNLV.

“We need everyone engaged to be successful,” he said to close Monday’s statement.

–Field Level Media