Short-handed Aces will have leading scorer available against Sun
ACES GAME DAY
Who: Aces at Connecticut Sun
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
Where: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
TV/radio: KMCC-34; KWWN (1100 AM, 100.9 FM)
Line: Aces -16; total 158
About the Aces (8-9): The Aces will likely work with a rotation of nine players as they look to bounce back from Thursday’s embarrassing 81-54 loss at the Indiana Fever, who didn’t have the services of star guard Caitlin Clark.
Three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 29 points, which was more than the rest of her teammates combined. The next-highest scorer was Jackie Young with six points.
Aces coach Becky Hammon blasted the effort, calling it the “worst offensive night” she’d ever seen. She was right, as 54 points is the fewest points in Aces franchise history since the team moved to Las Vegas in 2018.
A day after the blowout, the Aces waived forward Joyner Holmes, who played in six games and averaged 1.2 points and 1.0 rebounds after she was signed to a “rest of season hardship contract” last month.
The move brought the Aces down to 10 active players, including Megan Gustafson. The 6-foot-4-inch center has yet to play this season because of a Grade 3 ankle sprain she sustained in training camp.
On the status report for Sunday, Gustafson was listed as doubtful for the second straight game. Before Thursday’s loss, Hammon said Gustafson was ramping back up but there was no timeline for her return.
Luckily, Wilson was not included in the injury report after missing part of the second quarter against the Fever while being treated for a shoulder injury. She is averaging 22.1 points per game.
Veteran forward Cheyenne Parker-Tyus just gave birth to her second child. She is not one of the team’s active players, but with her, the Aces have the league minimum of 11 contracts.
About the Sun (2-15): Connecticut has lost nine straight since its last victory June 6, when guard Marina Mabrey scored 34 points to power an 84-76 win over the Atlanta Dream.
Mabrey, the team’s leading scorer (15.2 points per game), has missed multiple games since then with a left knee injury, and she has been ruled out for Sunday, along with rookie guard Jaelyn Brown (illness).
Veteran center Tina Charles, the team’s second-leading scorer (14.9), is listed as questionable with a left shoulder injury.
The Sun are 0-2 against the Aces this season. They took an 87-62 loss at home on May 20, then watched Wilson become the fastest WNBA player to 5,000 career points in an 85-59 loss to the Aces on June 25 in Las Vegas.
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X
