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The Connecticut Sun lost 98-69 to the Las Vegas Aces without Brittney Griner due to injury. Despite a strong first half, the Sun's young team struggled in the second half, marking a significant home loss in franchise history.
UNCASVILLE â When Brittney Griner was ruled out with a left foot injury before Wednesdayâs game against the Las Vegas Aces, few believed the Connecticut Sun could even be competitive against the reigning WNBA champions.
The Sun managed to hang with the Aces for a half despite the massive experience gap between the teams, but the young squad fell apart late in its 98-69 loss at Mohegan Sun Arena. The 29-point defeat tied the second-largest home loss in franchise history, and it was also the Acesâ biggest win over the Sun in the history of their series.
Second-year forward Aneesah Morrow was once again a bright spot for Connecticut, logging her second straight double-double off the bench with 16 points and 11 rebounds. She was the only Sun player to play more than 20 minutes without recording a turnover, and was impactful on the defensive end with a team-high two steals plus a block. Morrow struggled from the field shooting just 4-for-16, but she managed to get to the line consistently and shot 7-for-10 on free throws.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, stepping into the starting lineup in Grinerâs place, also had a standout night finishing with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists shooting 5-for-7.
But it wasnât enough to contend with a pair of dominant performances from Las Vegas star Aâja Wilson and reserve guard Chennedy Carter. Carter was electric at both ends of the floor, leading the Aces with 27 points, shooting 13-for-16 from the field and adding eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Wilson, the reigning four-time WNBA MVP, dropped 22 points on 8-for-15 shooting plus 11 rebounds and two blocks.
Connecticut falls to 0-3 on the season and will look to avenge Wednesdayâs loss in a rematch with Las Vegas at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night. Coach Rachid Meziane said pregame that Griner is expected back.
The first quarter was back and forth until the Aces got hot, going on a 13-0 run over a 90-second stretch to break open a double-digit lead fueled by six points from Carter. Morrow finally stopped the bleeding with a 3-pointer, and she combined with Rivers to outscore Vegas 8-2 over the final two and a half minutes of the quarter.
Early in the second quarter, the Sun were dealt major blow when center Olivia Nelson-Ododa, the starter in Grinerâs place, went down with an apparent lower right leg injury leaving rookie Raegan Beers â with three fouls â as the teamâs only available center. But the Sun managed to keep pace running undersized lineups, getting outscored just 20-18 in the quarter.
The Connecticut Sun lost to the Las Vegas Aces with a score of 98-69.
Brittney Griner was ruled out due to a left foot injury.
Aneesah Morrow and Olivia Nelson-Ododa were standout players, scoring 16 and 14 points respectively.
The 29-point defeat tied for the second-largest home loss in Connecticut Sun franchise history.
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It helped that Connecticut got Wilson into early foul trouble, drawing two of the superstarâs three first-half fouls over 13 seconds early in the quarter. Morrow was especially dominant in the second, putting up 10 points and six rebounds to come just shy of a second straight first-half double-double. Rookie guard Gianna Kneepkens also hit a pair of clutch buckets for the Sun, going 2-for-2 from the field while the rest of the team shot a combined 3-for-16.
Connecticutâs defense took a leap in the second quarter, forcing six turnovers against the Aces after creating just one in the first. The Sun also held Vegas to 0-for-4 on 3-pointers in the quarter, though they went 0-for-3 themselves, and both teams entered halftime with a single make from beyond the arc.
Nelson-Ododa returned to the court to start the second half with a brace on her right ankle and scored the first points of the third quarter for the Sun, but the Aces quickly began to pull away. Wilson played all 10 minutes of the third and looked every bit the reigning MVP, putting up 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting and bringing down five rebounds after she entered halftime with six points and four boards.
Las Vegas opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run and never looked back. The Sun were still competing down the stretch, but even with the Acesâ starters off the floor for much of the final frame, the Sun got outscored 20-16. The team finished shooting a dismal 33% from the field and 3-for-13 on 3-pointers, while Vegas hit 54% from the field and 5-for-16 beyond the arc. The Aces dominated in the paint, outscoring Connecticut 58-34 and out-rebounding the home team 46-29.