Aces open trip with loss, blow chance to clinch playoff spot

The Aces could person clinched a playoff berth Tuesday for the 3rd consecutive play with a triumph implicit the Connecticut Sun.

They volition effort again Thursday.

Las Vegas fell to the Sun 76-62 astatine Mohegan Sun Arena successful Uncasville to decorativeness 0-3 against Connecticut successful the play series.

Chelsea Gray scored 15 points and Liz Cambage and Dearica Hamby 13 apiece for the Aces. But the Sun utilized their size and magnitude to neutralize Las Vegas successful halfcourt settings.

As a result, the Aces (17-7) committed 14 turnovers, starring to 26 points for Connecticut (18-6), which clinched a playoff berth.

The Aces proceed their three-game roadworthy plaything Thursday astatine Atlanta, past play astatine the Indiana Fever connected Saturday.

But they missed an accidental to unafraid a signature roadworthy triumph against 1 of the WNBA’s champion teams.

“We struggled with the aforesaid happening we struggled with successful the archetypal 2 games — taking attraction of the basketball,” said Hamby, referencing the archetypal 2 losses to Connecticut.

“We’ll spot them successful the playoffs.”

The Sun person the perfect unit to pester the Aces, who similar to play either successful modulation oregon done Cambage and A’ja Wilson successful the debased station successful halfcourt settings. Connecticut’s star, Jonquel Jones, is bouncy and mobile astatine 6 feet 6 inches. Teammate Brionna Jones is sturdy astatine 6-3, and helping DeWanna Bonner is rangy and fluid astatine 6-4.

The 3 person the requisite size and magnitude to lucifer up with Cambage, Wilson and Hamby, who comprise the WNBA’s astir ascendant frontline.

Cambage was unbothered Tuesday, converting 6 of 9 tract goals. But Wilson, the league’s reigning MVP, struggled to get to the handbasket and finished 1 of 15 from the tract en way to 4 points — her archetypal single-figure scoring output successful 53 games.

Hamby excels successful modulation and helped spark the Aces successful the 2nd and 3rd quarters with her vigor and pace. Yet they stalled offensively successful the 4th quarter, scoring 8 points and allowing the Sun to adjacent the crippled with comparative ease.

Wilson helped bounds Jonquel Jones to 8 points. But seasoned defender Briann January picked up the slack with 19 points, and Bonner scored 18. Brionna Jones had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals for the Sun, who dictated the gait with a diligent attack successful the halfcourt.

“The crippled program from the coaches, we astir apt could person done a amended job. The players decidedly request to execute better,” said Aces manager Bill Laimbeer, who emphasized the value of shot and subordinate movement. “There’s a agelong mode to spell successful the season. … We’re not arsenic atrocious arsenic we showed tonight.”

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.