Aces dominate on the road with convincing 86-68 win over Connecticut
Four players reach double figures in commanding performance
The Las Vegas Aces delivered their most impressive offensive display of the season Sunday evening, cruising to an 86-68 victory over the struggling Connecticut Sun in Uncasville. The win improved the Aces’ record to 9-9 while dropping Connecticut to a disappointing 2-16 on the season.
Las Vegas controlled the game from the opening tip, jumping out to an early lead and never allowing the Sun to take control. Four different Aces players reached double figures in scoring, showcasing the balanced attack that has made them one of the league’s premier teams.
Wilson leads balanced scoring effort
A’ja Wilson paced the Aces with 19 points, continuing her remarkable consistency that has seen her score in double figures for 66 consecutive regular season games. That streak ranks as the sixth-longest in WNBA history and represents the longest active streak in the league.
Dana Evans provided a crucial spark off the bench, posting a season-high 18 points that helped fuel the Aces’ offensive explosion. Jackie Young contributed 14 points and moved within seven points of reaching the 3,000-point milestone for her career, which would make her the fifth player in franchise history to achieve that mark.
NaLyssa Smith, making her first start with the Aces in just her second game with the team, recorded the game’s only double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The performance marked Smith’s third double-double of the season and demonstrated her immediate impact on her new squad.
Gray makes history with milestone performance
Chelsea Gray orchestrated the Aces’ offense with precision, dishing out a season-high eight assists that helped her make WNBA history. With those assists, Gray moved her career total to 1,710, surpassing Aces head coach Becky Hammon (1,708) for sixth place on the league’s all-time assists list.
Gray now sits on the verge of joining an exclusive club, needing just three steals and one blocked shot to become only the fifth player in WNBA history with at least 4,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 1,500 assists, 400 steals and 100 blocked shots. Should she achieve this milestone, Gray would become the second-fastest to reach those numbers behind only Alyssa Thomas.
Shooting excellence fuels victory
After struggling with their worst shooting performance of the year in their previous game, the Aces responded with their finest offensive showing of 2025. Las Vegas connected on 54% of their field goal attempts while making 34.6% of their three-point shots, a dramatic improvement that overwhelmed Connecticut’s defense.
The Sun, meanwhile, struggled to find their rhythm offensively, managing just 38.1% shooting from the field and 27.8% from beyond the arc. The disparity in shooting efficiency proved to be the deciding factor in what became a comfortable victory for the visiting Aces.
Controlling the paint and the boards
Las Vegas established dominance in the interior, outscoring Connecticut 44-26 in points in the paint while also controlling the glass with a 35-27 rebounding advantage. The Aces also capitalized on second-chance opportunities, outscoring the Sun 12-6 on offensive rebounds.
While Connecticut managed to keep pace in transition play, holding a slight 11-10 edge in fast-break points, it wasn’t enough to offset Las Vegas’s advantages in other areas of the game.
Looking ahead
The victory continues the Aces’ challenging five-game road trip, which represents a crucial stretch as they work to climb back toward playoff positioning. Las Vegas will look to build on this momentum when they face the New York Liberty on July 8th, followed by a matchup against the Washington Mystics on July 10th.
The Aces entered this road swing needing to prove they could perform away from home, and Sunday’s commanding performance in Connecticut provided exactly the type of statement they were seeking. With Wilson’s continued excellence, Gray’s veteran leadership, and emerging contributions from players like Smith, Las Vegas appears to be finding the formula that could carry them through the remainder of the season.
For Connecticut, the loss continues a difficult campaign as they search for answers to turn around their season. The Sun will need to regroup quickly as they face the challenge of trying to salvage something positive from what has been a trying year.
Image Source: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2025/jul/06/wilson-has-19-points-in-aces-86-68-victory-over-co/
Category: Sports
Subcategory: Local Teams
Date: 07/07/2025
