A'ja Wilson scores 21 after snagging third MVP award, helps Aces beat Storm 78-67 in playoff opener

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A'ja Wilson scored 21 points and blocked five shots after earning her record-tying third MVP award earlier Sunday, and the two-time defending-champion Las Vegas Aces held the Seattle Storm to a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter in pulling away for a 78-67 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three series.

Wilson made just 1 of 8 shots as Las Vegas missed 16 of 18 altogether and fell behind 18-9 after one quarter. She had four points at halftime and Seattle led 42-38 after Jordan Horston and Mercedes Russell both made two free throws in the final 43 seconds.

But the third quarter was a different story as Wilson sank seven shots with a 3-pointer, accounting for 15 of the Aces' 26 points. Skylar Diggins-Smith had a three-point play in the final minute and the Storm took a 65-64 lead into the final period.

Kelsey Plum missed her first seven shots, but she had the first basket of the final quarter at the 7:04 mark to give Las Vegas the lead. Seattle missed its first seven shots, and back-to-back layups from Wilson and Tiffany Hayes pushed the Aces' lead to 70-65 with 4:49 left to play. Diggins-Smith hit two free throws for the Storm's first points to get them within three, but Chelsea Gray had two baskets in an 8-0 run to wrap up the victory. Seattle missed all 13 of its shots and turned the ball over six times in the final 10 minutes.

Hayes finished with 20 points and five steals off the bench for fourth-seeded Las Vegas. Gray had 16 points and seven assists. Jackie Young added 12 points and seven rebounds. Wilson had eight boards. She joined Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson as the league’s only three-time MVPs.

Diggins-Smith led fifth-seeded Seattle with 16 points and eight assists. Gabby Williams finished with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Nneka Ogwumike had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Horston had 10 points off the bench.

Seattle beat Las Vegas by 13 the first time they met this season, but the Aces closed with three straight victories over the Storm — two by double digits.

Las Vegas will host Game 2 on Tuesday. Seattle will host Game 3 on Wednesday if necessary.

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

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) embraces mother Vickey Gray after winning a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Seattle Storm, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) receives the 2024 WMBA MVP award prior to playing in a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Seattle Storm Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) embraces mother Eva Wilson and receives the 2024 WMBA MVP award prior to playing in a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Seattle Storm Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) drives the ball around Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (5) during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) goes to block Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (4) during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes (15) reacts to a play during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Seattle Storm, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (5) guards the ball from Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12) reacts to a call during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Seattle Storm, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (5) lays up the ball during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Las Vegas Aces, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (4) guards the ball from Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum (10) during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (4) signals while taking the ball down court during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Las Vegas Aces, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes (15) from right, Las Vegas center A'ja Wilson (22) and Seattle Storm center Mercedes Russell (21) react to a loose ball under the net during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray (12), right, and Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes (15) celebrate a shot during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Seattle Storm, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) goes up to shoot around Seattle Storm guards Victoria Vivians (35) and Jewell Loyd (24) during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) looks to the basket near Seattle Storm guard Jordan Horston (23) during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes (15) signals during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game against the Seattle Storm, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes (15) jumps to block Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (5) during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) shoots the ball near Seattle Storm forwards Gabby Williams (5) and Nneka Ogwumike (3) during a first-round WNBA basketball playoff game Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)

MUNICH (AP) — The head brewmaster for Weihenstephan, the world's oldest brewery, has a secret: He really likes alcohol-free beer.

Even though he's quick to say he obviously enjoys real beer more, Tobias Zollo says he savors alcohol-free beer when he's working or eating lunch. It has the same taste but fewer calories than a soft drink, he said, thanks to the brewery's process of evaporating the alcohol.

“You can't drink beer every day — unfortunately,” he joked last week at the Bavarian state brewery in the German town of Freising, about 31 kilometers (19.26 miles) north of Munich.

Zollo isn't alone in his appreciation for the sober beverage. Alcohol-free beer has been gaining popularity in recent years as beer consumption shrinks.

At Weihenstephan, which was founded as a brewery in 1040 by Benedictine monks, non-alcoholic wheat beer and lager now make up 10% of the volume. The increase over the last few years, since they started making alcohol-free drinks in the 1990s, mirrors the statistics for the rest of Germany's beer industry.

“The people are unfortunately — I have to say that as a brewer — unfortunately drinking less beer," Zollo said Friday, the day before Oktoberfest officially started. "If there’s an alternative to have the crisp and fresh taste from a typical Weihenstephan beer, but just as a non-alcoholic version, we want to do that.”

Even at Oktoberfest — arguably the world's most famous ode to alcohol — alcohol-free beer is on the menu.

All but two of the 18 large tents at the festival offer the drink through the celebration's 16 days. The sober beverage will cost drinkers the same as an alcoholic beer — between 13.60 and 15.30 euros ($15.12 and $17.01) for a 1-liter mug (33 fluid ounces) — but save them from a hangover.

“For people who don't like to drink alcohol and want to enjoy the Oktoberfest as well, I think it's a good option," Mikael Caselitz, 24, of Munich said Saturday inside one of the tents. "Sometimes people feel like they have more fun with alcohol, which is not a good thing because you can also have fun without alcohol.”

He added: “If you want to come and drink alcohol-free beer, nobody will judge you.”

This year marked the first time an alcohol-free beer garden opened in Munich. “Die Null,” which means “the zero” in German, served non-alcoholic beer, mocktails and other alcohol-free drinks near the city's main train station this summer but was scheduled to close a few day before Oktoberfest opened.

Walter König, managing director of the Society of Hop Research north of Munich, said researchers have had to breed special hops varieties for alcohol-free beer. If brewers use the typical hops for alcohol-free beer, the distinct aroma gets lost when the alcohol is reduced during the brewing process.

But customers don't care about that, König said Friday as he prepared for Oktoberfest.

“They only want to know that what they are tasting is as good as traditional beers with alcohol,” he said.

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo checks the output at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo checks the output at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo checks the output at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo gestures during an interview with the Associated Press at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo fills beer at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Head Brewmaster Tobias Zollo poses behind non alcoholic beer at the Weihenstephan brewery in Freising, Germany, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)