The WNBA-leading Connecticut Sun lost for only the second time this season on Friday, falling 85-74 to the host Las Vegas Aces, the reigning league champions.
Connecticut (13-2) had its four-game winning streak snapped. The Sun’s only previous loss was an 82-75 decision against the visiting New York Liberty on June 8.
Las Vegas (8-6) earned its third win in four games and second consecutive victory with point guard Chelsea Gray in action.
Gray was out the first 12 games of the season with a foot injury sustained in last year’s WNBA Finals. She finished with four points and an assist in 17 minutes off the bench on Friday, but her plus-minus rating was a game-high plus-19.
A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 26 points and 16 rebounds. She extended her WNBA record to 19 consecutive regular-season games with at least 20 points dating to last season.
Las Vegas’ Kelsey Plum added 18 points and four assists. Plum’s second 3-pointer with 7:57 left in the second quarter, which put the Aces ahead 28-19, was her 1,000th career field goal made.
Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington had 19 points but shot just 5 of 15 from the field. Brionna Jones finished with 18 points, hitting 8 of 12 from the floor, and a team-high seven rebounds.
Las Vegas outscored Connecticut 25-12 in the second quarter to pull away to a 45-28 halftime lead.
Plum led the Aces in the second quarter with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, hitting 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
Young had three assists and teammate Kiah Stokes had six rebounds in the second quarter.
Connecticut cut the difference to 57-50 with 2:34 left in the third quarter on a three-point play by Jones, but Las Vegas proceeded to score 10 unanswered points spanning the third and fourth periods to pull away.
Plum’s two free throws with 7:55 remaining put the Aces ahead 67-50.
The Sun did not get closer than 10 points the rest of the game.
–Field Level Media