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| The Sun stopped the Aces, 80-74, to improve to a 3-1 record, best in the Eastern Conference. |
LAS VEGAS—Courtney Williams scored a team-high 19
points to lead the Connecticut Sun over the Las Vegas Aces, 80-74, before a
paltry crowd of 2,747 fans at Mandalay Bay Events Center on Sunday. Jonquel (Double-D)
Jones did her usual thing, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 boards, while
Shekinna Stricklen (15 points) and Alyssa Thomas (14) also scored in double
digits for the Sun who avenged their only loss of the season, a 77-70 defeat to
the Los Angeles Sparks in LA Friday night. Williams added eight rebounds and
five assists to the Sun bottom line.
Former South
Carolina All-American A’ja Jones, who led the Gamecocks to the national
championship in 2017, tied Williams for game-high honors with 19 points. Aussie
import Liz Cambage put 14 on the board, while Kyla McBride added 13 and Dearica
Hamby had 10 for Las Vegas, which lost its second straight game and fell to 1-2
on the young season.
The Aces, the consensus
preseason choice to win the WNBA title, led by six, 24-18, at the first turn, but
the Sun rallied in the second quarter and entered the locker room trailing by
just three, 43-40, at halftime. as many as 10 points early in the game and shot
43.8 percent while limiting Connecticut to just 33.8 percent from the floor.
The Connecticut defense, however, forced the Vegas into 21 turnovers, which
ultimately led to the Aces’ downfall. The Sun also forced 14 steals—including
at least two by each starter.
Trailing 72-71 with about
four minutes remaining in regulation, the Sun iced the game by going on a 9-0
run started by a layup by AT in transition. Jones then chipped in with two from
the charity stripe, Jasmine Thomas banged in a three-pointer and Jones added a
layup to stake Connecticut an 80-72 lead with 1:07 remaining in the contest.
The Sun, who improve to 3-1—second-best record in the WNBA
to Minnesota’s 3-0—next return home for a rematch with the Ogwumike sisters,
Nneka and former Sun star Chiney, on Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at
the Mohegan Sun Arena.
—Staff Reports
@ConnecticutSun #CTSun #WNBA @LVAces
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