— Connecticut’s Strong First Half Not Enough Against Las Vegas —

LAS VEGAS (August 20, 2026) – The Connecticut Sun (9-26) fell to the Las Vegas Aces (25-13), 101-78, Thursday at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa led the Sun with 14 points, extending her streak of double-figure scoring games to three. Kennedy Burke and Leila Lacan added 11 points apiece, while Charlisse Leger-Walker notched 10 points, four assists and two blocks.

Burke drove to the basket after the Sun won the opening tip to score the game’s first points. Diamond Miller added a basket in the paint before Chelsea Gray knocked down a mid-range jumper to hit the Aces’ first points. Jackie Young got to the rim, but Leger-Walker grabbed an offensive rebound and scored her first points of the game. Young hit a step-back three before Burke answered with another basket at the rim. A’ja Wilson scored her first basket and quickly followed with another. NaLyssa Smith added two points in the paint to give the Aces a five-point lead midway through the first quarter. Saniya Rivers got Connecticut back on board with a jumper from 15 feet. Young scored again before finding Cheyenne Parker-Tyus for a basket that extended the Aces’ lead to double digits. Leger-Walker connected from deep to help close the gap, followed by Nell Angloma scoring in the paint. Young added two straight baskets before Nelson-Ododa scored her first points of the game and completed a three-point play. Leger-Walker added a contested baskett, and Ashlon Jackson knocked down a deep three before the end of the opening quarter.

Nelson-Ododa, Parker-Tyus and Rayah Marshall traded free throws to open the second quarter as the teams exchanged the lead during the first two minutes of the period. Nelson-Ododa scored the first field goal of the quarter before Connecticut’s defense forced a shot-clock violation. She added another basket underneath to give the Sun a three-point lead and followed with her 10th point of the game to push the advantage to four. Young scored Las Vegas’ first gield goal of the quarter, but Nelson-Ododa answered with a mid-range jumper. Wilson attacked the basket to cut into Connecticut’s lead before Smith tied things up mid-way through the second. Jackson responded with a drive through the lane, but Stephanie Talbot recorded her first points of the contest on a second-chance basket. Talbot then converted a three-point play to put the Aces back in front. Lacan knocked down a three-pointer after creating space from Smith, but Gray answered at the rim and Smith followed with another bucket to give Las Vegas a five-point advantage. Young added another shot before Burke converted a fadeaway jumper in the paint. Burke then stole the ball from Gray, leading to a Lacan shot from deep. Lacan later coverted from the free-throw line to bring Connecticut within one point entering halftime.

The Sun opened the second half with a Lacan steal that led to a Leger-Walker three-pointer. Gray responded at the rim for the Aces before Lacan drove coast-to-coast for a basket. Young answered with back-to-back threes after the Aces were 1-of-10 from beyond the arc in the first half. Wilson added a mid-range jumper, and Young buried her third three in 90 seconds to cap an 11-0 Aces run. Wilson followed with a basket in the paint and Talbot came up with a steal on Connecticut’s next possession to extend the run to 13-0. Connecticut went four minutes without a field goal as Wilson completed a three-point play to give the Aces a 14-point advantage. Burke ended the scoring drought with a shot from deep. Parker-Tyus scored on a second-chance opportunity before sending Rivers to the free-throw line, where she picked up two points. Parker-Tyus added a three from 26’ out, followed by another mid-range jumper from Wilson. Burke crashed the glass before Nelson-Ododa added two points in traffic. Rivers capped the quarter with a block on Mai Yamamoto before the shot left her hands.

Facing a 12-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, Rivers opened the scoring with a basket in the paint. Yamamoto scored five straight points, followed by Jewell Loyd’s acceleration with her own back-to-back five to push the Aces’ lead past 20. Angloma scored in the paint, and Rivers followed up with a drive for points. Wilson connected from 15’ out, but Raegan Beers answered with a deep two-pointer for her 100th career points. Wilson added another basket before Yamamoto tacked on more points for Las Vegas. Gianna Kneepkens shot a bucket from the field, and Beers connected in the lane before Kierstan Bell shot from deep. Marshall added points with a drive to the rim and a free throw. Parker-Tyus knocked down a three as the final points of the contest.

The Sun shot 56.7% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range (4-of-9) throughout the first half, whereas Las Vegas was 43.9% from field goal range and 10% from downtown. The Aces did force 11 turnovers and score 16 points off them throughout the first half. In the third quarter, the Aces pulled ahead with four three-pointers, three coming from Young. Vegas outrebounded Connecticut 40-23 and grabbed more points off turnovers, 28-17.

Game Notes:

The Sun shot 56.7% from the field and 44.4% from three-point range (4-of-9) throughout the first half, whereas Las Vegas was 43.9% from field goal range and 10% from downtown (1-of-10).

Beers grabbed her first 100 career points in the contest.

Team	Score	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	PTS	REB	AST
CON	78	24	23	16	15	Nelson-Ododa – 14	Rivers – 7	Rivers – 5
LVA	101	25	23	27	26	Young – 24	Parker-Tyus – 9	Young – 5

NEXT GAME: The Sun touchdown in Los Angeles to face the Sparks, seeking a season sweep over LA on Saturday, August 22 at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET.

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