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sports Thursday 15 sepTember 2022
Chargers' Mack not satisfied after productive opener

By JOE REEDY and have fun. They're all
AP Sports Writer equal. You want to sack
COSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) them all," Mack said.
— Khalil Mack hasn't had "There are not going to be
much time to reflect on his too many times you play
Los Angeles Chargers de- against them."
but, especially since they Brandon Staley split last
have a short week before year's games against the
facing the Kansas City Chiefs in his first season as
Chiefs on Thursday night. Chargers coach. Los An-
After putting in a perfor- geles won a 30-24 meeting
mance that most play- in Week 3 at Arrowhead
ers would consider a ca- Stadium last season before
reer game, Mack was left losing 34-28 in overtime in
with one impression after Week 15 at home.
watching the tape of last With six new starters on de-
Sunday's 24-19 victory over fense this season — includ-
the Las Vegas Raiders. ing Mack — Staley feels like
Disappointment. he has a unit that can hold
"It wasn't good enough. I its own against Kansas City
left a lot of stuff out there as the Chargers look for
and I have to get it cor- Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) celebrates defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph- their first 2-0 start since 2012.
rected," Mack said on Tues- Day (69) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Ingle- "You need a team to be
day before the Chargers wood, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. able to defend an offense
conducted a walkthrough Associated Press like this, and certainly a
session. player like Patrick. Any time
Mack was the third player in in the opener — are looking to bounce ideas off each said. you are facing an offense
franchise history to record to create the same type other throughout the game Bosa has 2 1/2 sacks in that has weapons — run-
three sacks in an opener of havoc against Patrick is good," Mack said. six meetings against Ma- ning backs, receivers, tight
since 1982, joining Shawne Mahomes and the Chiefs. Defensive coordinator Re- homes, including 1 1/2 last ends — and that has an
Merriman and Rodney Har- There were three plays naldo Hill said Mack's at- year. Mack has faced Ma- outstanding offensive line,
rison. He also added six against the Raiders where tention to the run game homes only once, a 2019 you're going to need the
tackles, seven QB pressures both Mack and Bosa were was the biggest surprise meeting in Chicago, but same thing on defense,
and a stop in the run game able to get into the back- that stood out during train- did record a sack. that same type of formula,"
for a 1-yard loss, the only field at the same time. ing camp. While Mack is in a division Staley said. "What Khalil
run stuff of the game for the "It's great to talk ball on "You think of his pass rush. with Carr, Mahomes and does is he gives you that
Chargers defense. the sideline and just com- But he's talking to Joey Russell Wilson as the quar- chance up front, both in
Mack and Joey Bosa — municate about what we about setting the tempo in terbacks, any sack is a spe- the run game and the pass
who had a combined 4 1/2 get and what each offen- the run game, how those cial occasion. rush, to be able to impact
sacks and 16 QB pressures sive tackle is giving us. So two will work together," Hill "It's a game we get to play the game. q

A'ja Wilson has Aces on brink of first WNBA championship

By DOUG FEINBERG both ends of the court, win- side.
AP Basketball Writer ning both the WNBA's MVP "I think like we talk about
A'ja Wilson has been the and Defensive Player of the her numbers offensively
face of the Las Vegas Aces Year awards. It's the second but she's holding it down in
franchise ever since she MVP award for the 26-year- the paint defensively. Like
was picked No. 1 in 2018. old forward, who has raised a two-way player through
She has lived up to that bill- her game to another level and through," Aces guard
ing on and off the court, in the playoffs. She is the first Chelsea Gray said. "Re-
and now she has the team player in league history to bounding, snatching her
one victory away from the have five straight games of rebounds, blocking shots,
organization's first WNBA 20 points and 10 rebounds having our back when I get
championship. Las Vegas in the WNBA playoffs. beat. So like all that, and
leads the best-of-five series "You can say it's a run but she's doing production on
2-0 heading into Game 3 she's just done that all the offensive end."
against the Sun on Thurs- season," Aces teammate Hammon has been riding
day night in Connecticut. Kelsey Plum said. "I felt like her young star throughout
"She gets it. She under- she's been the most con- the playoffs. She played Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson (22) guards Connecticut
Sun center Brionna Jones (42) during the second half in Game 2
stands leadership," first-year sistent player night in, night all but four minutes in the of a WNBA basketball final playoff series Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022,
Aces coach Becky Ham- out offensively and defen- semifinal win over Seattle in Las Vegas.
mon said. "I was watching sively in this league and that knocked out WNBA Associated Press
like everybody else was that's why she's MVP. It's tre- icon Sue Bird and Breanna
watching from afar. She's mendous." Stewart. She has played Beyond the stats, Wilson before Game 2 to get her
got beast skills. She's a It's not just on offense. In 296 of the 325 minutes in also has been more com- going.
beast human. She's a good one sequence in Game 1 the postseason so far, aver- fortable in a leadership role "I have ways that I talk
one. I'll go to battle with her of the Finals, she blocked a aging 21.6 points and 10.8 this season. She exhorted to my teammates to get
any day." shot on one end and then rebounds with 24 blocks. her teammates in Game 1 them to understand where
Wilson has been nearly un- sprinted down the court She's also shooting nearly when the Sun were making I need to be and where we
stoppable this season on to convert a layup on the 58% from the field. a run. She cussed out Plum need to be," Wilson said. q