FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Sun – WNBA Western Conference Final – Game 5

https://franchisesportsmedia.com

#1 Las Vegas Aces (18-4)  |  #7 Connecticut Sun (10-12)

 

The Aces are headed to the WNBA Finals vs the Seattle Storm.

 

For the first time since moving to Las Vegas, the Aces are on their way to the WNBA Finals. A thrilling low-scoring Game 5 between Las Vegas and the Connecticut Sun came down to the final shot of the game, but it was the Aces holding on to advance with a 66 to 63 win. 

In big games, teams need their stars to step up late, and the Aces got just that from WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson as she had a total of 23 points and 11 rebounds. Wilson scored 11 of her points in the 4th quarter when it mattered most as she was clutch in the final minutes to eliminate the Sun.

 

 

The Aces contained the Sun’s hot start and played well in the second half to hold on.

 

 

The Aces found themselves down 30 to 17 at the end of the first quarter as it seemed like the Sun could not miss a shot. However, Connecticut only scored 33 points for the rest of the game, with only 18 points in the second half.  

Alyssa Thomas led the way for the Sun with a big first half and finished the game with 22 points. It was a quiet game for Jasmine Thomas, who had 9 points but was 0-7 shooting the three. As a team, Connecticut shot 15% from beyond the arc.

It wasn’t the best offensive night for the Aces either as they got 0 points off their bench. A’ja Wilson was the leading scorer with 23, and Angel McCoughtry followed up her great Game 4 performance with 20 points in game 5.

Neither team shot the ball well in Game 5 as the Aces shot 35% compared to the Sun, who shot 36%. This led to the game being close down to the wire. The Sun had a one-point lead going into the final quarter. It was a low scoring 4th quarter that consisted of a lot of missed shots from both teams, but an Alyssa Thomas jumper gave the Sun a 63-62 lead with just under 3 minutes remaining. That was the final lead for the Sun as they didn’t score another point.

A’ja Wilson then showed why she was the MVP of the league as she took over and got to the free-throw line on back-to-back possessions hitting all four free throws with a minute and a half remaining in the game. This gave the Aces a 66 to 63 lead. With 13 seconds left in the game, the Sun had a chance to tie as it was their ball coming off a timeout. However, the Aces played great defense on the final possession and forced a missed shot from DeWanna Bonner with a second remaining.

The Aces outscored the Sun 13-9 in the 4th quarter, with A’ja Wilson scoring 11 of their 13 points leading her team to the Finals.

 

 

The Aces now shift their focus onto the Seattle Storm.

 

 

After a tough five-game battle against the Connecticut Sun, the Aces must quickly shift their focus to the Seattle Storm, who easily took care of the Minnesota Lynx in the semi-finals sweeping them in 3 games.

For the Storm, having Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird healthy is enormous. Stewart averaged 23 points and was an MVP candidate herself. Although the two big names for the Storm are fit, both teams will be missing players. For the Aces, Sixth Woman of The Year Award winner Dearica Hamby suffered a knee injury in the semi-finals and will miss the WNBA Finals. The same goes for Seattle’s Sami Whitcomb.

 

It will be a battle between the 2018 WNBA MVP in Breanna Stewart and the 2020 WNBA MVP in A’ja Wilson as the two best teams in the regular season with identical records square off. The Aces beat the Storm both times they played in the regular season; however, in The Finals, it is an entirely different game.

 

 

Game 1 of the WNBA Finals is on Friday, October 2nd at 4 p.m. on ESPN2

Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun      Aces vs Sun     

-Jarret Thompson – Franchise Sports Media 

Follow The Franchise on social media

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube