Portland at Las Vegas

Las Vegas needed a monster performance from A'ja Wilson just to make it close last time out, and it still wasn't enough. Wilson dropped 38 points in a 100-99 loss to Washington, a final line that says as much about a leaky Aces defense as it does about her brilliance, and Las Vegas returns from the All-Star break carrying that one-point sting into a get-right spot against a shorthanded Portland club that's already lost two frontcourt players for the season. I won't oversell Portland's health or its 11-16 record, but the number matters more than either of those facts here. These two have split the burden of covering this year: Las Vegas cleared this exact spread in the first meeting back in June, a 16-point win, but needed just eight points to beat Portland the second time around in July, comfortably inside tonight's number. A defense that just allowed 100 points to a Washington team is not a lock to blow out anyone by double digits, and Portland's losses down the stretch, outside of Wilson-fueled nights, have mostly stayed in single digits. Give me the Fire to keep this respectable behind whatever frontcourt it can piece together. Take Portland as my WNBA Game of the Week.