Aces regain rhythm in dominant win over Sun

The visiting Las Vegas Aces lit up the scoreboard and shut down the Connecticut Sun in an 86–68 win on Sunday, led by 19 points from A'ja Wilson on 80% shooting.

Blazing from the beginning, the Aces opened the game with six unanswered points and never looked back, building their lead quarter by quarter. With the win, the Aces evened their record at 9–9 before heading into their game against the New York Liberty on Tuesday.

Sunday’s win showcased the kind of depth and dominance the Aces have been working toward during what’s been a rocky season.

The Aces dominated the stat sheet in several key areas that helped their control of the game. They shot 9 of 26 from beyond the arc (34.6%), outpacing the Sun’s 5-of-18 effort (27.8%). At the free-throw line, Vegas converted 9-of-13 attempts (69.2%), while Connecticut went 15 of 19 (78.9%). The Aces’ ball movement was sharp, resulting in 21 assists on 34 made field goals. Both teams committed 14 turnovers, but the Aces made theirs count, turning them into 19 points to just 13 for the Sun.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Gray orchestrates the offense

Despite Wilson leading the team in scoring, point guard Chelsea Gray was the engine behind the Aces’ offensive rhythm. Gray tallied eight assists in nearly 20 minutes of action, consistently setting up teammates with precision. Whether it was a perfectly timed dish to Wilson or a kick-out 3-pointer to Jackie Young, Gray’s decision-making clearly kept Connecticut off balance. With her seventh assist of the game, Gray passed her head coach, Becky Hammon, to move into sixth place on the WNBA’s all-time assists list. Gray is now sitting at 1,710 with 25 games left in her 11th NBA season.

“I think when you know you pass people, and you make records and stuff, and you're all-time this and all-time that—to be in that category and around people like that, and Hall of Famers—it's a good feeling, man,” Gray said. “It's a testament to the years of my career and what I've been able to kind of do and sustain at a high level and win. That's always been at the forefront of my mind: just trying to win as many championships as I can.” 

Reserves keep momentum going

The Aces’ bench stepped up in a big way, proving that depth can be one of their greatest strengths. Point guard Dana Evans was the second-highest scorer, putting up 18 points. Kierstan Bell added eight points, including two 3s, while Aaliyah Nye contributed five points of her own, including a timely 3-pointer in the final frame.

“We're always trying to save legs; so on nights that you can, you definitely want to do that,” Hammon said. “We know New York is a high-movement team, very physical team. They’ve got some of the best movement in the league.”

And as for Hammon’s view on Evans?

“My favorite Dana is an aggressive Dana, and so keeping her ramped up,” Hammon said. “And then she’s been doing a great job with us defensively on the ball, just getting into the ball handler and being pesky and feisty in there. So she's really coming into a lot of what I've been asking her to do really nicely.” 

Balanced scoring and efficiency

Vegas showcased a well-rounded offensive attack, with four players scoring in double figures and the team shooting a blistering 54% from the field (34 of 63), while the Sun fell short with just 38.1% (24 of 63). Wilson led the charge with 19 points, Young following behind with 14 points. The Aces were particularly dominant in the paint, outscoring the Sun 44–26 inside and converting 22 of their 30 attempts near the rim. The biggest lead was 23 points.

“Every team goes at a different pace,” Hammon said. “And I think for me right now, you just continue to teach, continue to demand that effort. You know, the effort part is huge for me. You look at some of these teams across the league—they win games because they just play harder than their opponents. And so, you think you can't take effort for granted. For us, it's been a focus. We've got to give them the appropriate effort every night. It's hard work. It's hard work to win professional basketball games. Doesn't matter what league you're in—you're going against other pros every night.”