FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Sun - Game 10 - 2022

FSM Essential Recap: Aces vs Sun – Game 10 – 2022

Franchise Sports Media

Las Vegas Aces (9-1)  |  Connecticut Sun (6-3)

 

 

The Las Vegas Aces secured their ninth win of the season on Tuesday night when they handed the Connecticut Sun an 89-81 loss. The victory moved Vegas to 9-1 on the season, which marks the franchise’s best 10-game start in its history.

 

The Las Vegas Aces had very few weaknesses a season ago. One was the 3-point shot, which has been addressed this season — the Aces lead the league in 3-point percentage and are second in makes per game. The other major weakness was the Connecticut Sun, a team that Las Vegas lost to three times in 2021 by a total of 28 points. With both squads mostly identical to a season ago, the Aces got a chance to exorcise some demons on Tuesday night under first-year head coach Becky Hammon.

The battle between the top two teams in the league didn’t disappoint. Connecticut controlled the early going as Las Vegas felt things out. But once the blood really got flowing, it was clear who the top dogs in the WNBA were.

 

As the Aces pulled ahead towards the latter part of the first quarter, they took the lead and never looked back. In fact, their lead would stay in double digits for most of the game as suffocating defense and crisp offense was on the menu for Las Vegas.

But what made this matchup so different? How could Vegas make the No. 2 team in the league look like it belonged in a lower class? Execution and relatively mistake-free basketball for most of the game, even if shots weren’t going in at the rate they have grown accustomed to.

“I thought we executed our gameplan defensively pretty well, especially in that first half,” said Hammon following the Aces‘ win. “We played out of our defense and were able to get out and run. When we play out of defense, we become elite. when we have to take it out of the net and go against a packed defense, especially the No. 1 defense in the league, it’s going to be difficult.”

 

Specifically, later in the game, the Las Vegas Aces did start to stumble a bit thanks to some intense, desperation-mode full-court defense by the Sun as the clock wound down. The Aces‘ reserves coughed up the ball while trying to maintain a considerable lead, thus resulting in the starters having to return when their night should have been done.

“You don’t play timid. You don’t play back on your heels,” said Hammon in response to a question about Connecticut‘s late-game defense that caused Vegas some issues. “All of a sudden (it’s) the last 2-3 minutes (and) now we want to hang onto the ball. You can’t…You gotta move the ball and get rid of it.”

Nevertheless, the Aces avoided what would have been an embarrassing blown lead and secured an 89-81 win. But the concerns about the depth of this team are becoming more real as the season grows longer.

KEY PERFORMERS:

A’ja Wilson – 24 PTS, 14 REBS, 1 STL, 2 BLKS

Jackie Young – 21 PTS, 5 REBS,3 ASTS, 3 STLS

Kelsey Plum – 18 PTS, 4 REBS, 7 ASTS, 3/7 3PT

Chelsea Gray – 13 PTS, 6 ASTS, 3 STLS, 1 BLK

 

Las Vegas will be right back at home on Thursday for another big game. This time, to begin the month. They’ll run it back against this same Connecticut Sun squad on Thursday, June 2nd, and you can catch the game live at 7:00 pm PST on Facebook. Check back with us after the game for a recap and analysis.

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-Cole Huff– Franchise Sports Media