Connecticut goes 3-1 in their final four road games of the regular season.
Las Vegas, NV (September 15, 2024)- Tonight, the Connecticut Sun (27-11) fell to the Las Vegas Aces (25-13), 84-71, on the road in Las Vegas. With the loss, the Sun drop the 2024 regular season series with the Aces, 3-0. It marks the first time since the 2020 regular season that the Sun have failed to win at least one game against the Aces.
Marina Mabrey led Connecticut with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. She notched 10 of her 18 points in the second half of play. Mabrey has led the Sun in scoring in five of her 14 games with the team this season.
Brionna Jones finished with 17 points, a team-high nine rebounds and one steal in the effort. It marked her 8th straight performance with at least 17 points and her 30th double-digit outing of the year. Ty Harris rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Sun notching 16 points, one rebound and one assist.
The Sun suffered their largest loss of the season (-13), entering today’s game not having lost a game this season by more than 12 points. Connecticut shot 42.2% (27-64) from the field, while Las Vegas went 49.3% (35-71) from the floor on the night.
Connecticut won the battle from the bench (18-16), but Las Vegas won the paint (38-30) and the fast break (7-4). Both teams notched nine second-chance points.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 29 points, hitting 1,000 points this 2024 regular season. She scored 14 of her 29 points in the third quarter, outscoring Connecticut’s entire third quarter total, 14-11.
Game Runs:
1H: The Sun trailed the Aces, 12-7, heading into the first media timeout of the contest. Connecticut closed the first outscoring Las Vegas by one, 18-17, to cut the deficit to four, 29-25, entering the second. A 9-1 run from the 5:28-2:57 mark of the second gave the Sun a 39-37 lead, forcing the Aces to burn a timeout. Las Vegas responded, finishing the half on an 11-1 run to take a 48-40 lead over Connecticut into the locker room. Ty Harris and Brionna Jones each had 10 first-half points to lead the Sun in scoring.
2H: Las Vegas opened the second on an 8-4 run to take a 12-point lead over Connecticut, 56-44, with 6:55 to play in the third. The Aces went to outscore the Sun, 23-11, in the third to take a twenty-point lead, 71-51, into the fourth. Connecticut opened the final quarter on a 6-3 spurt to cut the lead to 17, 74-57, with 5:40 remaining the game. The Sun continued to rally, going on a 9-6 run to trim the advantage to 14, 80-66, with 3:18 left in the fourth. Connecticut was able to outscore Las Vegas, 20-13, in the final frame, but the Aces took the 84-71 win.
Notes:
- Tonight, DeWanna Bonner played her 500th career game, moving her into sole possession of third all-time in WNBA history in games played, passing DeLisha Milton-Jones. She joins Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi as the only three played in league history to achieve the feat.
- Brionna Jones notched her eighth straight 10+ point performance in tonight’s game and 30th double-digit outing of the season.
- The Sun’s 11 third quarter points marked their lowest point production in a third quarter all season.
- The Aces’ seven turnovers marks the lowest by a Sun opponent this season.
- The Sun shot 64.7% (11/17) from the free throw line, marking the fourth time in last seven games they have shot under 70% from the charity stripe.
- Alyssa Thomas finished with six points, five rebounds and seven assists on the day. It marked her 26th outing with 7+ assists this season.
| Team | Score | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | PTS | REB | AST |
| CON | 84 | 25 | 15 | 11 | 20 | Mabrey- 18 | Jones- 9 | Thomas- 7 |
| LVA | 71 | 29 | 19 | 23 | 13 | Wilson- 29 | Wilson- 9 | Young- 7 |
NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun host the Minnesota Lynx for their last regular season meeting on Tuesday, September 17 at 7:00 PM ET at Mohegan Sun Arena.