Newcomer, mask and all, helps Aces rout Sun for 1st win of season

If the Aces were an All-Star ensemble of superheroes, A’ja Wilson would be the infallible captain who never takes a break from saving the day.

As the team rolled to an 87-62 road win over the Connecticut Sun and secured its first win of the regular season Tuesday, a new character arrived — mask and all.

Wilson led the Aces with 22 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double in just as many games.

Guard Jewell Loyd, who arrived via a blockbuster trade this offseason, added 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. The six-time All-Star debuted a black face shield as she warmed up at Mohegan Sun Arena in Montville, Connecticut. It was a souvenir from the Aces’ season opener Saturday against the New York Liberty.

Loyd declined to disclose the specific injury that led to her protective gear after Tuesday’s win but said it might have helped her.

“I think I just had to concentrate a little bit more (to see), so maybe that’s why my shot went in,” she said with a laugh when asked how the mask impacted her performance.

Loyd, nicknamed the “Gold Mamba,” struggled in the Aces’ 92-78 loss to New York. She appeared to wipe blood from her face and cover her nose before she exited the game in the third quarter of the defeat. She eventually returned, but finished with just five points on 2-of-10 shooting.

Loyd texted coach Becky Hammon afterward. Hammon responded that she wasn’t worried and she knew Loyd would be fine.

“It’s nice to have people around that kind of just keep encouraging me and have faith in me to be myself,” Loyd said.

The Aces never trailed Tuesday against the Sun thanks to a 9-0 start that featured six points from guard Jackie Young, who finished with 16. Point guard Chelsea Gray added 12 points.

The Aces led 24-13 after the first quarter but saw their lead cut down to seven at one point in the second. They responded with a 16-2 run to take control. Loyd had 14 points at halftime and the Aces led 52-29.

Wilson aids bench

Veteran center Tina Charles had 20 points for the Sun while wearing Wilson’s new Nike signature shoe, the A’One.

Wilson traded shoes with Charles after the game and said the moment was “truly an honor.”

Wilson was the only starter to play in the fourth quarter with her team up 78-46, but Hammon said she wanted the three-time MVP to provide moral support to the bench players.

“She’s somewhat of a calming factor for the rest group,” Hammon said. “She was out there with a lot of our new players: Our rookies, our younger players. So I needed also that veteran voice out there to kind of steady the storm. You don’t want to stick your second team out there and just have them get annihilated.”

Wilson was happy with the extra minutes because she didn’t play in the offseason.

“I’ve been sitting on my ass for the last couple of months. I want to play. I want to get out there,” she said. “I love that I could play with the young group and kind of get their wheels going.”

Backup guard Dana Evans had five points for the Aces, while guard Tiffany Mitchell had four and 2025 second-round pick Aaliyah Nye hit a 3-pointer for her first WNBA basket.

Hammon added the Aces are still “developing” 2024 second-round pick Elizabeth Kitley, who didn’t score in her 11 minutes against the Sun.

“We’re going to have a very productive bench. Everybody seems to be staying ready when their number’s called,” Hammon said. “I think (Mitchell) is still getting her footing. I think Dana is still figuring it out a little bit. But once they get comfortable in our system and kind of get their rhythm and timing, I think they’re going to be very formidable coming in off the bench.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.