Aces’ 16-game run

The Aces closed the regular season with a simple message: The early stumbles are most definitely behind them. A 16-game win streak — the longest closing run in league history — has vaulted them into the second seed and effectively altered the playoff map. The wins piling up, and how, underscored their identity. At the center of it all was Aja Wilson, steady and forceful, turning a hitherto-wobbly campaign into one that now looks ready to make its date with fate.

- ANTHONY L. CUAYCONG

The streak’s final note, a 103-75 dismantling of the Sparks, offered a snapshot of what the Aces have once again become. Twenty-two threes fell, a record that underscored the freedom with which the offense is now flowing. The ball zipped — 35 assists all told — between Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, and Jewell Loyd, while Wilson was, needless to say, everywhere, stretching the defense in one possession and anchoring the paint in the next. The margin was significant, of course, but what stood out was the control: a team playing unhurried, unbothered, and totally on its terms.