Aces Pull Away in Second Half to Defeat Sun 101-78 in Final Las Vegas Meeting

The Las Vegas Aces turned a close game into a dominant second-half performance Thursday night, defeating the Connecticut Sun 101-78 in what will be the Sun’s final trip to Las Vegas before the franchise moves to Houston in the offseason. After holding a one-point lead at halftime, the Aces took control on both ends of the floor after the break, outscoring Connecticut 27-16 in the third quarter and 26-15 in the fourth. The victory moved Las Vegas to 25-13 on the season, while Connecticut fell to 9-26.

Jackie Young led all scorers with 24 points, adding seven rebounds and five assists in another strong all-around performance. A’ja Wilson finished with 20 points, while Cheyenne Parker-Tyus provided a major boost off the bench with season highs of 18 points and nine rebounds. The Aces received contributions throughout the lineup, using a balanced offensive attack to eventually pull away from a Connecticut team that stayed within striking distance for most of the first half.

The Sun opened the game with an 8-7 advantage before Las Vegas responded with a 14-3 run that put the Aces ahead 21-11. Connecticut stopped the run with five straight points, but Young answered with four consecutive points to give Las Vegas a 25-16 lead with one minute remaining in the opening period. The Sun then closed the quarter with an 8-0 run, taking advantage of two missed Aces shots and a Las Vegas turnover to pull within 25-24 after one. Young had 11 points in the quarter, while Charlisse Leger-Walker led Connecticut with seven.

The second quarter remained a back-and-forth battle. Connecticut outscored Las Vegas 11-6 over the first four minutes to take a 35-31 lead before the Aces answered with a 10-2 run to regain control at 41-37. After a Connecticut 3-pointer cut the deficit to one, Las Vegas responded with another 7-0 spurt to take a 48-40 advantage. The Sun, however, closed the half with seven consecutive points, sending the teams into the locker room with Las Vegas holding a narrow 48-47 lead. The Aces had contributions from six different players in the quarter, while Nelson-Ododa scored nine points for Connecticut.

The turning point came early in the third quarter. Connecticut moved ahead 52-50, but Young caught fire from beyond the arc, hitting three 3-pointers during a decisive 16-0 Las Vegas run. The surge gave the Aces a 66-52 lead midway through the period and finally created the separation they had been unable to establish in the opening half. Connecticut managed to outscore Las Vegas 11-9 over the remainder of the quarter, but the Sun never got closer than nine points as the Aces carried a 75-63 advantage into the fourth.

Young and Wilson each scored nine points in the third quarter, while Connecticut struggled to find the same offensive rhythm it had shown earlier in the game. The Sun shot just 5-of-16 from the field during the period and went 2-of-7 from 3-point range. Las Vegas, meanwhile, shot 10-of-21 from the floor and connected on four of eight attempts from deep. What had been a one-point game at halftime had become a 12-point Aces lead entering the final 10 minutes.

Connecticut opened the fourth quarter with a basket, but any hopes of a comeback quickly disappeared. Las Vegas responded with 12 unanswered points to push its advantage to 87-65, and the Aces never allowed the Sun to make another serious run. Las Vegas shot a blistering 9-of-13 from the field in the fourth quarter and went 4-of-7 from 3-point range, while Connecticut shot 7-of-18 and missed all six of its attempts from beyond the arc. Jewell Loyd and Mai Yamamoto each scored seven points in the final period as the Aces closed out the 101-78 victory.

The Aces’ ability to turn Connecticut’s mistakes into points was another major factor in the outcome. Las Vegas scored 28 points off 19 Sun turnovers, matching the team’s season high in points off turnovers. The Aces also scored 50 points in the paint, their sixth-highest total of the season, while Connecticut managed 40. Las Vegas finished with a 40-23 advantage on the glass and assisted on 23 baskets compared with 18 for the Sun.

Overall, the Aces shot 37-of-75 from the field for 49.3 percent and made 9-of-25 from 3-point range. Connecticut finished 29-of-64 from the field for 45.3 percent and went 6-of-22 from beyond the arc. The biggest difference came after halftime, when Las Vegas found its outside shooting touch after going just 1-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half and then connecting on 8-of-15 attempts in the second half.

Wilson continued to add to an already historic season with her 20-point performance. She entered the game having scored in double figures in a league-leading 58 consecutive games, and her 20 points against Connecticut extended that streak to 59 games. Wilson also reached 908 points for the season and recorded her 28th 20-point game of the year. The Aces’ game notes also noted that Wilson had played 301 games entering the matchup, putting her within reach of the franchise record for games played.

Young added another milestone to her season as well, scoring at least 20 points for the 19th time this year and the 76th time in her career. She had already reached a significant career milestone earlier in August, becoming the 25th player in WNBA history with at least 4,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 1,000 assists and 300 steals. Her performance Thursday showed once again why she has been such an important part of the Aces’ success throughout the season.

The victory also marked the 11th time this season that Las Vegas has scored at least 100 points, matching the franchise record for 100-point games in a single season set by the 2023 championship team. The Aces’ offensive production, combined with their ability to force turnovers and dominate the paint, allowed them to turn what was a competitive game for 20 minutes into a comfortable victory.

For Connecticut, Olivia Nelson-Ododa led the way with 14 points, while every player who scored for the Sun contributed to the final total. The Sun entered the night having already lost the first two meetings with Las Vegas this season, 98-69 and 101-94, and Thursday’s loss completed the season series.

The matchup also carried added significance for Connecticut because it was the franchise’s final scheduled trip to Las Vegas before its move to Houston. The Sun battled the Aces throughout the first half, but Las Vegas’ defensive pressure, transition opportunities and improved shooting ultimately proved too much in the second half.

For the Aces, the win provided an important response after entering the night having lost two straight games. Las Vegas now turns its attention to the Toronto Tempo, with the Aces scheduled to travel to Vancouver, British Columbia, for a 4 p.m. matchup on Sunday.