In their July 6 matchup at Mohegan Sun Arena, the Las Vegas Aces controlled the pace from start to finish, defeating the Connecticut Sun 86–68. The Aces never trailed, seizing an early lead and maintaining it with clinical execution on both ends of the court. It was Las Vegas’ seventh consecutive win over the Sun and brought their record back to .500 at 9–9. Meanwhile, Connecticut’s slide continued, dropping their tenth straight game and falling to 2–16 on the season.
A’ja Wilson led the charge for Las Vegas with 19 points and four blocks, asserting her presence inside and out. Dana Evans provided a spark off the bench with a season-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Jackie Young added 14 points and six assists. NaLyssa Smith chipped in a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, part of a balanced team effort that saw the Aces shoot over 50 percent from the field and outscore the Sun 44–26 in the paint.
Chelsea Gray continued to etch her name into the history books, tallying eight assists and surpassing Becky Hammon for sixth on the WNBA’s all-time assists list with 1,710. Her leadership orchestrated a fluid Aces offense that consistently found open looks and converted them efficiently. The team’s defensive effort also stood out, limiting Connecticut to under 70 points and forcing multiple turnovers that led to transition opportunities.
On the Sun’s side, veteran center Tina Charles returned from injury to contribute 11 points, four rebounds, and two steals in a reserve role. Aneesah Morrow led the team with 12 points, while Saniya Rivers added 10 points and a career-high seven rebounds. French rookie Leïla Lacan made her WNBA debut, logging five points and an assist in 24 minutes of action. Despite these contributions, Connecticut struggled to generate consistent offense and remained plagued by defensive lapses.
As Las Vegas builds momentum heading into the second half of the season, Connecticut will need to regroup quickly to stop the skid. With talent on the roster and emerging young players gaining experience, the Sun have pieces to build on, but time is running short to reverse their course in what’s been a frustrating campaign.
