A seemingly different version of the Las Vegas Aces walked onto the court following halftime at Michelob Ultra Arena on Thursday night.
After struggling to find consistency on offense through the first 20 minutes against the Connecticut Sun, the hometown team erupted out of the break, outscoring the Sun 53-31 in the second half en route to a 101-78 victory to close their season-long five-game homestand on a high note.
“We started to play defense,” said Aces coach Becky Hammon. “We’re a different team when we play defense, and holding them to 16 and 15 is a lot better than 24 and 23.”
“It gave us an opportunity to get out to run and play, and we were able to transition and really get the ball popping. Defense was the difference in the second half.”
Guard Jackie Young led the Aces with a game-high 24 points while adding seven rebounds and five assists, helping Las Vegas avoid its first three-game losing streak of the season and first since June 2024.
Young has now scored at least 20 points in eight of her past 10 games, including a season-high 32 points earlier this month against the Washington Mystics.
Center A’ja Wilson added 20 points, three rebounds and four assists while shooting 47 percent from the field as the Aces earned their 25th win of the season.
The four-time MVP also played in her franchise-record 302nd game, breaking a tie with Sophia Young-Malcolm for the most games played in franchise history. Wilson is 92 points away from reaching 1,000 this season with six regular-season games remaining to reach the milestone for the second time in her career.
Wilson remains the only player in WNBA history to accomplish the feat, first reaching 1,000 points during the 2024 season.
The victory extended the Aces’ winning streak against Connecticut to 11 games in the final regular-season meeting between the franchises before Connecticut relocates to Houston and becomes the Houston Comets in 2027.
After Las Vegas struggled from 3-point range early, shooting 10 percent on 10 attempts in the opening half, the Aces found their rhythm coming out of the break, knocking down six of their next 10 attempts to ignite a 19-4 run that gave them a game-high 24-point lead.
The Aces’ defense has been inconsistent at times this season, but Hammon said she remains confident in what her team can accomplish when it puts together a complete performance.
“Sometimes I’m worried, and sometimes I’m not; I know what we’re capable of, so that brings me peace,” Hammon said. “The consistency and sometimes lack of consistency is the part that keeps me up at night, so it can be a blend, but I know they are capable.”
Despite four Sun players finishing in double figures, Connecticut’s starting lineup combined for seven rebounds and nine turnovers.
Center Olivia Nelson-Ododa led the Sun with 14 points on five made field goals but scored two points in the second half, with her only basket coming on a layup underneath the basket in the closing seconds of the third quarter.
After wrapping up their season-long five-game homestand, the Aces will travel to Vancouver, British Columbia, for their second regular-season matchup against the Toronto Tempo as part of the Tempo’s Cross Canada series, which will conclude back in Las Vegas on Aug. 28.
The Aces’ final six games of the regular season will come against teams currently below .500, including four games against opponents already eliminated from playoff contention.
