A'ja Wilson has 19 points and 13 rebounds, Aces beat Mercury 83-61 for 9th straight win

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A'ja Wilson had 19 points and 13 rebounds, Dana Evans scored 17 points and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Phoenix Mercury 83-61 on Thursday night to win their ninth straight.

Las Vegas (23-14) hasn't lost since a 111-58 home defeat to Minnesota on Aug. 2, and has won 11 of its last 12. The Aces have won seven straight at home.

Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray and NaLyssa Smith scored 12 points apiece for Las Vegas.

Wilson, who had her 18th double-double this season, had her string of 30-point games snapped at three.

Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for Phoenix (21-14). Satou Sabally scored 15 points.

Sabally scored in the post to make it a nine-point game but Evans answered with a running floater and Gray followed with a fadeaway that made it 59-46 at the end of the third quarter, and the Aces led by double figures the rest of the way.

The Mercury were limited to season lows for points (61) and field-goal percentage (31%).

Kierstan Bell hit a 3-pointer that gave the Aces the lead for good and sparked a 7-0 run that made it 23-17 at the end of the first quarter.

Sabally converted a three-point play that trimmed the Mercury's deficit to 37-29 with 1:41 left in the second quarter but Gray made a step-back jumper, Young tipped in her own miss and Gray hit another jumper to give the Aces a 14-point lead at halftime.

Kahleah Copper (rib) left the game after a collision with Wilson in the third quarter and did not return.

Mercury host Golden State on Friday, and Aces play at Washington on Saturday.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) shoots over Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray, center left, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

Las Vegas Aces guard Dana Evans (11) goes up to shoot over Phoenix Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani, left, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) looks to shoot over Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

David Linde, the former chairman of Universal Pictures and CEO of Participant Media, has been named CEO of the Sundance Institute. The nonprofit organization said Thursday that Linde will assume the role on Feb. 17, after this year’s festival concludes.

“I am honored to join Sundance Institute as CEO to steward an organization that is essential to independent artists, the broader creative community, and culture at large,” Linde said in a statement.

His role will include overseeing the Sundance Film Festival’s transition to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027, as well as managing the year-round Sundance Institute programs, including artist labs, grants and fellowships.

A Hollywood veteran, Linde has worked across television and film for decades, cofounding Focus Features and overseeing numerous Oscar nominees and winners in his various roles. During Linde’s time at Participant, which shuttered in 2024, the company produced two best picture winners: “Spotlight” and “Green Book.” He also produced “Arrival.”

Sundance has been operating under an interim CEO, Amanda Kelso, since early 2024 when Joana Vicente stepped down. Vicente had replaced Keri Putnam in 2021. The Institute’s most high-profile event, the annual Sundance Film Festival, is gearing up for its last edition in Park City, Utah which will kick off next week.

Ebs Burnough, board chair of the Sundance Institute, said in a statement that, “David brings a rare combination of industry fluency, social cause management, and deep commitment to artists, positioning the organization to build on our legacy while advancing our mission for the future.”

FILE - David Linde appears at the American Cinematheque Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, 2021. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)