Back on track after the second game of star center A’ja Wilson’s return, the Las Vegas Aces will be out for more when they play host to the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday.
Wilson came back from concussion protocol on Friday, and while effective with 20 points and 14 rebounds, the Aces fell 90-83 at home to the Seattle Storm. Wilson then had 24 points and seven rebounds Sunday as Las Vegas (6-7) ended its three-game losing streak with an 89-81 home victory over the Indiana Fever.
The Aces’ defense, which has been so instrumental in their success under head coach Becky Hammon, was at the forefront against the Fever. With an adjusted roster after guard Kelsey Plum was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in the offseason, it has taken Las Vegas time to adjust.
“I saw a dig-in factor, a gritty factor, that I haven’t seen in the third and fourth quarters,” Hammon said. “I saw them dig in with each other. So that’s really a good sign for when you’re trying to build team trust and consistency.”
Las Vegas forced 18 turnovers and turned them into 28 points while holding the Fever’s Caitlin Clark to 1-of-10 shooting from 3-point range, though she did finish with 19 points.
The Sun (2-12) enter on a season-worst six-game losing streak that tops the five consecutive losses they had to start the season. The latest setback was an 87-63 result at Golden State on Sunday.
Aneesah Morrow scored 14 points and Jacy Sheldon added 10, but the Sun shot just 30.3 percent from the field and were outrebounded 51-35. The game was essentially lost in the second quarter when Connecticut was outscored 36-12.
Not only do the Sun face the improved Aces on Wednesday, but the road trip continues with visits to a pair of top-five teams in the standings in the Storm and the first-place Minnesota Lynx.
“Moving forward, (we have) a better start and be more aggressive,” Sheldon said about the challenges that remain on the trip. “Just play hard. When in doubt, I think you can play hard and things will work out in your favor when you do that. … The next step is building that confidence.”
While Wilson leads the Aces with 21.1 points per game and 9.8 rebounds, Tina Charles paces the Sun with 16.1 points to complement Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s 6.5 rebounds per game.
–Field Level Media
