The Aces will go east for a road trip, starting with a game against the Connecticut Sun, who are three games ahead of them in the third seeding. The Aces are 21-12 this season and have won three consecutive games, while the Sun are 24-9.
booked and busy for the week ????️
Presented by @Toyota#ALLINLV // #LetsGoPlaces pic.twitter.com/FOhLiSz5Mg
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 4, 2024
Aces Sun
This will be the second meeting between these two teams, with the Aces defeating the Sun 85-74 on June 21st. In the game, A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Connecticut was led by Dijonai Carrington, who scored 19.
This game will be interesting since these two teams have changed since their previous meeting, with the Sun making a significant trade acquisition before the deadline and Chelsea Gray seeming to be on the verge of returning to form.
Starting with the Sun, they acquired star guard Marina Mabrey before the trade deadline, who has provided a significant spark off the bench. Mabrey is currently averaging 14.0 points per game and shooting 45% from the field. She also offers the Sun with much-needed three-point shooting, making 41% of her attempts.
As for the Aces, it seems like Chelsea Gray is regaining her flow, which is a scary sight for opposing teams. Gray is coming off a great perfomance against the Sky, where she scored 13 points and dished out 10 assist. She was especially efficient in the game, shooting 5-8 from the field (62.5%), while also contributing on defense with 1 block and 3 steals.
Snatch + Slay ????✨@cgray209 // #ALLINLV pic.twitter.com/iUEFDYcpc7
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 4, 2024
Tiffany Hayes was also a key player for the Aces in the last game, scoring 20 points on 8-12 shooting and 3-5 from three. Hayes is a former Connecticut Sun player, so she may come into this game with extra motivation.
Another interesting thing to consider heading into this game is that it is a battle of the best, putting the league’s top offense against the league’s best defense. The Aces lead the league in scoring average (87.3 points per game), while the Sun allow just 74.4 points per game. Connecticut is also second in the league in defensive rating (94.9), while the Aces are second in offensive rating (106.4). The Liberty are the only team ahead of both of them.
This game also has some intriguing postseason ramifications, since the Aces will face the Sun once more after this game, despite being three games behind the Sun for third place in the WNBA. If the Aces can win both of these games against the Sun and catch up on the one game they are down, they will surpass the Sun since they own the tiebreaker.
The game will be played at the Mohegan Sun Arena and will be broadcast on ION, with tip-off scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Pacific time.
