Las Vegas answered Becky Hammon’s challenge with its best basketball after halftime.
Jackie Young scored 24 points, A’ja Wilson added 20 and the Aces pulled away for a 101-78 win over Connecticut on Thursday, Aug. 20, at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Las Vegas turned a one-point halftime lead into a rout by controlling the glass, protecting the ball and sustaining its energy.
Before tipoff, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon said each player needed to bring the proper “effort, focus and energy,” then show up collectively. She added that the Aces had been “spotty in that area” and needed more consistency.
Early work, late leak
Las Vegas initially gave Hammon the response she wanted. The Aces created early turnovers, got a block from Stephanie Talbot and attacked the offensive glass while building a 13-8 lead.
Young drove the offense with 11 first-quarter points and three assists. Wilson scored twice off Young feeds, while Cheyenne Parker-Tyus immediately changed the game off the bench. Parker-Tyus scored six points, grabbed two offensive rebounds and blocked a shot as Las Vegas stretched the lead to 21-11.
However, the Aces gave most of it back. Connecticut closed the quarter on a 13-4 run, capped by an Ashlon Jackson 3 after Parker-Tyus blocked a shot near the buzzer. Las Vegas still led 25-24, but the Sun shot 56 percent and turned a 10-point deficit into a one-possession game.
Extra work keeps them up
The rough finish carried into the second. Las Vegas went more than three minutes without a field goal, while Parker-Tyus kept the Aces afloat by attacking the glass and getting to the free throw line.
Young finally broke the drought by following her own miss. Wilson and NaLyssa Smith then scored on consecutive possessions as Las Vegas settled into the quarter. Talbot added an and-one, then delivered a sharp pass over the top to Smith for an alley-oop that helped push the lead to 45-40.
The Aces eventually stretched the margin to 48-42, but another poor finish followed. Leila Lacan hit a 3, then made two free throws with 3.5 seconds left as Connecticut closed on a 5-0 run.
Las Vegas led only 48-47 at halftime despite owning the extra possessions. The Aces had nine offensive rebounds and scored 16 points off 11 Sun turnovers. Still, they shot just 1 of 10 from behind the arc.
Young flips the game
Connecticut briefly took a 50-48 lead to open the third after a Las Vegas turnover. Then Young took over.
She buried three 3-pointers during an 11-0 Aces run, while Wilson added a jumper. Connecticut needed a timeout with 7:10 left and Las Vegas suddenly ahead 61-52.
The Aces did not let the quarter slip away this time. Wilson converted an and-one, Parker-Tyus knocked down a 3 and Mai Yamamoto added two late free throws. Las Vegas also dominated the glass, outrebounding Connecticut 14-5 in the period.
That combination finally created separation. The Aces won the third 27-16 and carried a 75-63 lead into the fourth.
Bench shuts the door
Las Vegas opened the fourth with only Chelsea Gray on the floor from its starting group. The bench unit still delivered the knockout stretch.
Yamamoto scored on a driving layup, then buried a 3. Jewell Loyd made two free throws, followed with her first field goal on a layup and then knocked down a 3. The 12-2 opening burst forced another Connecticut timeout with Las Vegas ahead 87-65.
Wilson briefly returned and scored twice before the Aces emptied the bench with 3:48 remaining. Kierstan Bell hit a 3, Justine Pissott made two free throws and Parker-Tyus added a late 3 to push Las Vegas past 100.
The Aces won the fourth 26-15 and finished with 10 scorers among the 11 players who appeared. Parker-Tyus supplied 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench, including six offensive boards.
Las Vegas finished with a 40-23 rebounding edge, 12 offensive rebounds and a 50-40 advantage in the paint. The Aces also committed just 11 turnovers after entering the night with ball security as a point of emphasis.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
