Las Vegas Aces 109, Atlanta Dream 87

Monday's flexed national broadcast delivered exactly the star power it promised, even if the final score wasn't the coin flip the market suggested. Las Vegas ran away from Atlanta behind a Jackie Young triple-double. New York protected its playoff position with a comfortable win over Seattle. And Phoenix made its newest addition feel right at home, with Kelsey Plum scoring 20 points in her first game as a Mercury player just a day after being traded from Los Angeles, in a road win over Chicago. Here's how it all went down, plus a look at how the preview predictions and season-to-date record held up.

Jackie Young was spectacular, posting a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists on 11-of-17 shooting (4-of-7 from three) at 74.6 percent true shooting. A'ja Wilson added 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting with a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line and three blocks. Chelsea Gray contributed 17 points and six assists. Las Vegas shot 62 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from three as a team, and their 24 assists on 44 made field goals reflected an offense that was clicking on every level from the opening tip.

Atlanta had no answer once the second quarter began. Angel Reese posted a double-double with 23 points and 16 rebounds on 52.6 percent shooting, six offensive boards generating 13 second-chance points, exactly the kind of rebounding dominance the preview flagged. Rhyne Howard added 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. But Atlanta's 16.7 percent three-point shooting and their 40.2 percent effective field goal percentage reflected a team that never found any offensive rhythm once Las Vegas's defense locked in.

LVA 109 · ATL 87

Seattle Storm 83, New York Liberty 95

New York did exactly what a team fighting to hold the final playoff spot needed to do, jumping out early and never letting Seattle get closer than seven points in the second half. Final: 95-83, New York improves to 18-13 and holds onto eighth place, while Seattle falls to 6-26, still last in the league.

Breanna Stewart led the way with 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting, adding eight rebounds and six assists. Sabrina Ionescu shot 7-of-10 from the field (4-of-6 from three) for 18 points at 90 percent true shooting. Jonquel Jones added 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting. New York's 23 assists on 34 made field goals and 20 fast-break points reflected a business-like performance that protected their playoff cushion exactly as the preview anticipated.

Seattle competed hard despite the talent gap. Flau'jae Johnson was excellent, going 8-of-15 from the field for 25 points at 65.9 percent true shooting with three steals. Natisha Hiedeman added 17 points and seven assists. But Seattle's 31 percent three-point shooting and their inability to generate stops in the third quarter, when New York's lead grew comfortable, reflected a Storm team that fought hard but never had enough to seriously threaten the upset.

NYL 95 · SEA 83

Phoenix Mercury 106, Chicago Sky 101

This was Kelsey Plum's first game in a Phoenix uniform after being dealt from Los Angeles at the trade deadline just a day earlier, and Chicago got a preview of what the Mercury's retooled roster looks like. The two teams traded the lead throughout regulation, with neither building more than a 12-point cushion, before Phoenix's fourth quarter proved decisive. Final: 106-101, Phoenix improves to 12-19, while Chicago falls to 11-19, both teams still fighting for positioning outside the current playoff cut line.

Plum scored 20 points in her Mercury debut, going 6-of-10 from the field (3-of-5 from three) at 82 percent true shooting with four assists, immediately looking at home alongside her new teammates. Kahleah Copper was electric as well, going 10-of-19 from the field (4-of-8 from three) for 31 points at 63.8 percent true shooting, drawing seven fouls. Alyssa Thomas posted a near triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists on a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line, though six turnovers were part of an otherwise dominant two-way effort. Phoenix's 40 free throw attempts, converting 31, were the single biggest number of the night, reflecting relentless aggression toward the basket that Chicago's defense never solved. With Plum, Thomas, and Copper all producing at a high level in her first night in the building, Phoenix's new-look trio looked every bit as dangerous as advertised.

Chicago fought until the final buzzer. Kamilla Cardoso posted a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Courtney Vandersloot added a double-double of her own with 16 points and 10 assists. Chicago's bench produced 36 points, and the Sky's 55.3 percent effective field goal percentage reflected genuine offensive quality. But their 68 percent free throw shooting, compared to Phoenix's 77.5, and 26 personal fouls that kept sending Phoenix to the line were the numbers that ultimately decided a game that lived up to its billing as one of the night's closest.

PHX 106 · CHI 101