FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Sun - Game 7 - 2023

FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Sun – Game 7 – 2023

Franchise Sports Media

Las Vegas Aces (7-0) | Connecticut Sun (6-2)

 

The Las Vegas Aces kept their perfect start to the season alive after coming out victorious in a Finals rematch with the Connecticut Sun, winning 90-84.

The Aces vs Sun played at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday.

The Las Vegas Aces survived a fourth-quarter surge from Rebecca Allen to defeat the Connecticut Sun in their first meeting since the 2022 WNBA Finals.

The Aces are now 7-0 to start a season for the first time in franchise history, and they have won 11 straight regular-season games dating back to last season.

A’ja Wilson led all scorers with 23 points (9-of-13 FGs, 5-of-6 FTs), as well as taking on ten rebounds, two steals, and four blocks. Wilson is now just four points shy of 3,000 for her career.

Wilson scored in double figures for the 31st consecutive regular season game, the third-longest active streak in the WNBA, and the 6th-longest streak in Aces’ franchise history.

Jackie Young added 22 points (7-of-13 FGs, 0-for-3 3s, 8-of-9 FTs), seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Kelsey Plum had 17 points (6-of-15 FGs, 1-for-4 3s, 4-of-5 FTs) and six assists.

The Aces survived against the Sun

Allen came off the bench and totaled 22 points, as well as five rebounds for the Sun, hitting four of her six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

The start of the Aces vs Sun first half. 

Alyssa Thomas nabbed her seventh double-double of the season, scoring 14 points (4-of-11 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), grabbing 11 rebounds, and dished out five assists for the Eastern Conference leaders, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Brionna Jones added 15 points (6-of-13 FGs), ten rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.

It was an excellent start for Las Vegas, as the Aces’ defense locked in, forcing six turnovers and rejecting three shots, also holding the Sun to just 31 percent overall from the floor.

The Aces struck first and never trailed, dishing out ten assists on ten made field goals in the first quarter. All seven Aces who played in the first quarter scored. The most significant lead of the period was their 11-point, 25-14 edge that the squad held at the end of the quarter.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. The Sun came out of the locker room on a 10-3 run to pull to within 12. The Aces then went up 19 points, but Connecticut cut it to 13 with 2:29 on the clock. Aces head coach Becky Hammon called for a timeout, and her team responded by outscoring the Sun 9-5 to end the quarter.

The end of the Aces vs Sun first half. 

Allen single-handedly shot Connecticut back into the game. She had 17 points off the bench to lead the Sun and was 5-for-7 from 3, while the rest of the Sun were 3-for-18 from distance.

The start of the Aces vs Sun second half. 

Connecticut entered the fourth quarter shooting 23.8 percent from 3 (5-for-21). However, to begin the fourth quarter, they went 5-for-5.

Connecticut held Las Vegas scoreless for four minutes midway through the fourth, during which the Sun scored 12-straight points to cut the gap to 76-73. 

Wilson’s jumper with 3:41 remaining ended the Aces’ scoring drought. Plum followed with a huge 3-pointer to put Las Vegas up 81-73. 

The Sun wouldn’t back down, however, and they cut it to four with 32 seconds to play. But four made free throws down the stretch iced the win for the Aces.

Las Vegas won despite making just four 3-pointers against the Sun, making that their lowest mark in the Hammon era, which has been hit for the third time (Against the Indiana Fever on June 4th, 2023, and against the Chicago Sky on May 28th, 2022).

Once again, Las Vegas’ reserves were outplayed by the opposition. Connecticut’s bench outscored the Aces 33-9.

The Sun also outscored the Aces 17-6 on second-chance points.

Riquna Williams remained out for the seventh consecutive game, still listed with a lower back injury.

The final score of the Aces vs Sun was 90-84, Aces.

The Aces will now rematch the Connecticut Sun on Thursday, June 8th, at 4:00 pm PST.

 

– Jake Ideguchi-Furukawa – Franchise Sports Media

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