The Las Vegas Aces lose their first game of the 2024 season, Kyle Busch takes a shot at Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Max Crosby gets a raise. All this and more last week in Las Vegas sports (May 20 – 26).
#5 Aidan O’Connell switches numbers to honor Derek Carr
Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew are competing for the starting job with the Las Vegas Raiders, but they share a common goal— a legacy far removed from Josh McDaniels, Jimmy Garoppolo, and everything else that made the team not work. O’Connell is taking a step towards this by changing his jersey number from #4 to #12 out of respect for Derek Carr’s legacy
“When the offseason came, it felt to me this is Derek’s number,” O’Connell said during an appearance on the Rush with Maxx Crosby podcast last week. “He wore it for that long, and he’s a franchise leader and all this stuff. It felt disrespectful, so I just wanted to kind of give that back to him.”
O’Connell is entering his second year facing a tough veteran in Minshew for the starting job. He needs to improve on his numbers of 213 complete in 343 attempts for 2218 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. In comparison, Minshew has 305 completions for 3305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Both quarterbacks have trouble with turning the ball over, but Minshew looks to be a touch more consistent.
#4 Las Vegas Aces take their first loss
The Las Vegas Aces took their first season loss to the Mercury last week in what had to be a wake-up call. Kelsey Plum led the charge with 27 points, five assists, and two rebounds. She is joined by Jackie Young, who contributed 23 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds.
A’ja Wilson put up 21 points, two assists, and 13 rebounds in the loss. Despite these superstar numbers, they couldn’t stop Kahleah Copper’s 37 points, three assists, and four rebounds.
“It doesn’t work that you flip on a switch after being apart for six to seven months, and you’re that same team you were last October,” Aces coach Becky Hammon told ESPN. “ We start over understanding we’ve got a pretty good foundation, but then have to settle into that…”
#3 Kyle Busch takes a cheap shot at Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Kyle Busch doesn’t take crap from the media, and that’s why we love him. The Las Vegas native doesn’t let anyone throw a particular narrative on him. During a press conference last week, journalists poked and prodded him about his fight and got this exchange.
“It doesn’t matter whether I agree or not, NASCAR makes the penalties,” Busch said via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. He followed up when asked again, “NASCAR makes the penalties, so…”
Busch’s comments come after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fined $75,0000 for sucker punching Busch at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Stenhouse Jr.’s father has also been banned from the infield indefinitely for his actions.
While Busch still didn’t have much to say throughout the interview, he did offer this clever little quip.
“I don’t need to fight with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.,” Busch emphasized. “I need to fight with the top three guys so I can start winning some races.
#2 Las Vegas Raiders redo Maxx Crosby’s contract
Maxx Crosby is one of the best players in the Las Vegas Raiders, and they acknowledged that last week. According to ESPN, Las Vegas gave Crosby a $6 million raise without adding years to his contract. Crosby recently gave his thoughts on his time with the Raiders.
“But yeah, it’s been a blessing. I mean, it’s been a damn journey, and for me, all that matters at the end of the day is winning, winning for this organization. I pour my heart and soul into this… being a Raider is something special to me,” Crosby expressed during an interview.
“I’ve got real relationships from the owner all the way down to the janitor. I’m here every day for a reason. It’s like a family.”
Crosby contributed 90 tackles, 14.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles last season. These are great numbers and a big reason why the Raiders want to give him some extra incentive
#1 Las Vegas Aces bounce back with blowout win
There was no touching the Las Vegas Aces after their 99-80 victory over the Indiana Fever. The game was supposed to be a highly anticipated matchup but was little more than an exhibition game. Las Vegas held Caitlyn Clark to eight points, seven assists, and five rebounds in 29 minutes. A’ja Wilson led the way with 29 points, two assists, and 15 rebounds. Jackie Young contributed 22 points, six assists, and one rebound in the win.
One woman who had a standout game was Kate Martin, who scored 12 points, one assist, and seven rebounds.
The victory keeps the Aces atop the WNBA standings and was a significant morale booster after their loss.
