The Connecticut Sun had an opportunity to reach .500 for the first time all season, but it was a tall task without two of its starters, Alyssa Thomas and Jasmine Thomas.
And while the Sun hung around the first half thanks to great defense led by Beatrice Mompremier off the bench, their offense had a tough night, hitting just 4-of-20 3-point attempts.
The game got away from Connecticut after the break, and the Las Vegas Aces ultimately won 93-78.
DeWanna Bonner led the Sun in the Thomas sisters’ absense, scoring 22 points with four rebounds, two assists and a block. Brionna Jones supported with 14 points, six rebounds two steals and two blocks.
Mompremier had six points off the bench with an impressive 16 rebounds and four blocks.
But as expected, A’ja Wilson was sensational for the Aces with a game-high 24 points, while five Vegas players scored double figures. Dearica Hamby and Jackie Young scored 20 each, and there’s not much you can do about that.
With the loss, the Sun fall to 8-10 on their season while the Aces improve to 13-4.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PG: Briann January
SG: Kaila Charles
PF: Essence Carson
SF: DeWanna Bonner
C: Brionna Jones
MOMPREMIER BLOCK PARTY
Bonner stepped up early for the Sun notching their first five points. She set the tone with a 3-pointer, and led Connecticut with nine points in the opening quarter.
While the Sun certainly missed the Thomases on defense, Mompremier was fantastic with three blocks and four rebounds in the opening quarter.
Still, behind McCoughtry and Jackie Young (off the bench) scoring seven first-quarter points each, the Aces had enough to take a 22-16 lead.
Connecticut shot just 33.3 percent from the field and was 1-for-5 on its first-quarter attempts from beyond the arc.
SHOTS AREN’T FALLING
The Sun opened on a 5-3 run to start the second, but Young went off for the Aces. She scored eight points in the second to finish the half with 15 points, tied with Bonner for the most in the game to that point.
And though their shooting left a lot to be desired, Connecticut stayed in the game. Jones had a nice block in the second and finished the half with six points, three rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
Mompremier continued to settle, scoring six points in the quarter to go along with ten rebounds and three blocks.
The Sun’s shooting woes, however, got worse. By the half, they were 1-for-11 on 3-point attempts as the Aces held a 43-36 lead at the break.
ACES CREATE SEPARATION
Las Vegas’ offense became more balanced in the third, allowing them some breathing room.
Wilson and Kayla McBride got hot, finishing the quarter with 19 and 14 points, respectively.
Jones made two solid plays as time winded down to cut their deficit to 10 points, shooting 6-for-7 from the field to that point.
Connecticut trailed Las Vegas 71-61 entering the final frame.
THAT’S ALL, FOLKS
Dearica Hamby opened the fourth quarter with a strong sequence for Vegas, and her eighth point of the quarter gave her team a 17-point advantage with 7:28 to play.
Off the bench, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Theresa Plaisance hit 3-pointers to give the Sun some life, but the effort ultimately wasn’t enough.
The Sun were outscored 22-17 in the final quarter.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Credit where credit is due…
UP NEXT
Connecticut gets a day off Friday, and will return to play Saturday, Aug. 5 at 4 p.m. ET against the Indiana Fever.
Thumbnail photo via Chris Poss/Connecticut Sun
