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The Las Vegas Aces dropped their second game of the season, falling to 2-2 after losing to the Seattle Storm, 102-82.
The game never really felt close, with the Storm jumping out to a 34-20 lead after just one quarter. Seattle shot 60% from the floor and 50% from 3-point range, while Las Vegas hit just 43.9% of its field goal attempts and 36% of its shots from beyond the arc.
Rookie center Elizabeth Kitley was a bright spot for the Aces, scoring 11 points and hauling in five rebounds in just 16 minutes of action.
The Aces drafted Kitley 24th overall in Round 2 of the 2024 WNBA draft after an incredibly successful collegiate career at Virginia Tech, where she became the ACC’s all-time leader in both scoring (2,709 points) and rebounds (1,506).
She missed the entire 2024 season after suffering a torn ACL in March of 2024, so this is technically her rookie year. The Aces officially signed her on February 3.
So far, the 6-foot-6 Kitley has appeared in three games, with Sunday’s 16-minute outing the longest we’ve seen from her so far. She’s averaging 4.3 points, but that total will go up if Aces coach Becky Hammon uses her more.
According to Hammon, Kitley saw more action against the Storm because Seattle wasn’t putting a body on Kiah Stokes.
“They just weren’t guarding Kiah, and we were playing 5-on-4, so I went with Kitley,” Hammon said after the loss. “We love Kiah’s defense, but some teams just don’t play her. … I thought our bench gave us solid minutes. That was a bright spot for us.”
The Storm certainly had to guard and account for Kitley, who looked deft as ever when maneuvering in the paint.
If she continues to play well in limited minutes, Kitley will be a prime 6th person candidate. Las Vegas has been easing her back into action due to the knee injury, so she’ll likely be seeing more minutes, particularly if she continues to be a force.
