The Las Vegas Aces started off their preseason strong, beating the Phoenix Mercury 89 to 76 on March 5. It was at the Michelob ULTRA Arena with a pretty excited crowd there.

I think what stood out was how the Aces just took over from the second quarter. They had this balanced attack on offense and kept pushing on defense, which made it hard for Phoenix to keep up. That is probably why everyone still sees them as favorites for the WNBA season.

A’ja Wilson was the big one for Las Vegas, getting 24 points and 11 rebounds. Kelsey Plum chipped in with 18 points and six assists too. They shot close to 50 percent from the field, and forced like 15 turnovers from Phoenix, which led to some easy fast break points all game.

This game got a lot of buzz because both teams made some roster changes over the offseason. The Aces are trying to repeat as champions, while Phoenix wants to get back into the playoffs with more veteran help and better depth.

Early on, the Mercury hung in there, mostly thanks to Diana Taurasi. She had 15 points in the first half, hitting three from outside. They even led by five points toward the end of the first quarter.

But then the Aces went on this 14 to 2 run that changed everything. It felt like the momentum just flipped right there.

In the third quarter, Wilson scored eight points in a row, and that helped build the lead up to 17. Las Vegas also grabbed 42 rebounds to Phoenix’s 31, and they kept driving to the basket. Jackie Young came off the bench and added 14 points, plus some good defense on the perimeter.

Phoenix kept fighting in the second half with Taurasi and Brittney Griner, who ended with 16 points and seven rebounds. Still, they could not stop the Aces in transition, and the score never got closer than double digits in the fourth.

After the win, Wilson talked about the team’s energy and how they communicated well. She said they wanted to set the tone early and play their kind of basketball. When they defend and pass like that, it makes them hard to beat.

For both teams, this was kind of an early test as the season gets going. The Aces look solid for another title push, I guess. Phoenix has some defensive problems to fix, but there were moments where their offense clicked, which might help in the tough Western Conference. It is a bit messy figuring out how it all shakes out.