UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Connecticut Sun’s season of frustration hit a new low on Sunday afternoon, as they fell 86-68 to the Las Vegas Aces at Mohegan Sun Arena, marking a franchise-record 10th straight loss.
The defeat gave the Aces a 3-0 season series lead over the Sun, whose last victory came exactly a month ago.
Despite the final score, the Sun showed flashes in the opening half. After trailing 10-4 early, Connecticut (2-16) closed the first quarter with a burst, trimming the deficit to four, 16-12. They opened the second quarter on a 4-0 run and tying the game at 16. But the Aces responded quickly.
Dana Evans, who would finish with a season-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, broke the tie with a layup that ignited a 13-2 Las Vegas run. Jackie Young capped that surge with a three-pointer that pushed the Aces ahead 29-18 with just over five minutes left in the half.
From there, the Aces (9-9) took control, heading into halftime up 43-28 and never allowing Connecticut closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
Still, pockets of resilience emerged for the Sun, especially from players like Saniya Rivers. The rookie guard delivered 10 points, a career-high seven rebounds, and added an assist, a steal, and a block. She spoke afterward about the team’s early spark.
“I think we knew we needed to slow them down in transition,” Rivers said. “That was something we emphasized going into the game today. So, I feel like they’re a great transition team. They’re looking to get downhill one on one. They’re also looking to spot up and transition at the three. So, I think just knowing that and trying to exploit that is just the energy that we had coming in, mentally and physically in that quarter.”
One bright spot throughout Connecticut’s losing streak has been rookie forward Aneesah Morrow.
On Sunday, she led the team in scoring for the third straight game, finishing with 12 points, three rebounds, two steals, and a block. It marked her sixth game this season in double figures and her sixth double-digit scoring performance in her last seven outings.
Connecticut managed to slice the deficit to 12 in the third quarter, but the Aces responded again, outscoring the Sun 27-22 in the period and carrying a 70-50 advantage into the fourth. The Sun would go on to win the final quarter, 18-16.
For the game, Las Vegas shot 54% (34-for-63) from the floor, compared to 38.1% (24-for-63) for Connecticut. The Aces dominated the paint (44-26) and second-chance points (12-6), while the Sun held a slim edge in fast-break scoring (11-10). A’ja Wilson paced the Aces with 19 points, along with three rebounds, two steals, and four blocks.
Though the losses continue to mount, Rivers said she and the team are working to keep perspective and stay resilient.
“I think the biggest thing is just finding the positives, trying to stay up, because in this league, you don’t have time to lay back and soak in all that, because you’re playing like three or four games a week, and you’re traveling like two, three times a week,” Rivers said. “So I think just really learning from your mistakes, trying not to repeat those same mistakes, and just going to the next game hoping for a win, and trusting your preparation, your teammates and the program, and just hoping to continue to turn it around.”
Head coach Rachid Meziane echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that while the Sun’s young roster is developing, they’re facing improving opponents each night.
“Even if we are growing, our opponents are working hard too, so they are also improving their game,” Meziane said. “So, this is not an easy thing to do, but we have to believe in ourselves, be optimistic. We can see that some of our players are growing, and we are taking more responsibility.”
The Sun will try again to end their streak when they host the Seattle Storm on Wednesday morning for their annual Camp Day game, tipping off at 11 a.m.
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