Connecticut Sun struggle without Brittney Griner in 98-69 loss to Las Vegas Aces

UNCASVILLE — When Brittney Griner was ruled out with a left foot injury before Wednesday’s 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 Aces’ 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 Griner’s place, also had a standout night finishing with 14 points, six rebounds and three assists shooting 5-for-7.

But it wasn’t enough to contend with a pair of dominant performances from Las Vegas star A’ja 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 Wednesday’s 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 Griner’s place, went down with an apparent lower right leg injury leaving rookie Raegan Beers — with three fouls — as the team’s only available center. But the Sun managed to keep pace running undersized lineups, getting outscored just 20-18 in the quarter.