Aces 87, Sun 62: Lots to do, but good for Saniya Rivers

 There was one point in the broadcast Tuesday night where there was outrage that Jewell Loyd was left open, which was fair, Loyd has been one of the best scorers in the WNBA for nearly a decade now and someone the Las Vegas Aces gave up Kelsey Plum for in the offseason.

But does that mean not doubling three-time and reigning MVP A’ja Wilson? That doesn’t seem like a winning strategy, does it? There were problems elsewhere, most notably giving up 10 offensive rebounds in the first half and Jacy Sheldon and Marina Mabrey continuing to struggle to keep anyone in front of them, however despite the 87-62 final score, I think the defense was the stouter of the two ends of the floor, the Sun actually did a decent job on Wilson for the most part, and - although a few too many were wide open - better to get beat from outside the arc than on layups like they did against Washington Sunday.


Plus, defense is a little more fixable, although it remains to be seen how Rachid Meziane handles Sheldon and Mabrey, and whether he has any options at all (spoiler alert: he might not, unfortunately).


The biggest problem to take out of Tuesday is how Connecticut is going to score going forward. A lot of that might fall on Mabrey (more on that below), but Meziane and the Sun need people other than Mabrey and Tina Charles to produce or it’s going to be a long, long summer. Of course, it’s not like players that can regularly score in the WNBA are available on the waiver wire, although it does look like Bria Hartley was a good addition. 


Las Vegas made a few changes in the offseason, but was only fifth in the WNBA in defensive efficiency in 2024 and it made the Sun look bad in the first half and until they let off the proverbial gas in the fourth quarter.


And the league is not going to feel sorry for the Sun, starting with what might be the WNBA favorite, Minnesota, on the road Friday night.  


What else did we learn from the lopsided loss to Las Vegas?:




 

  1. The Sun need better from Marina Mabrey - It’s one thing to struggle offensively and Mabrey shooting just 8-for-32 to start the season is obviously going to make it hard for Connecticut, but Mabrey’s body language and defensive effort again left something to be desired Tuesday. Being in a leadership role is new for her at this level, and being frustrated with everything that’s happened in the last few months is certainly understandable, but she’s going to have to fight through the hard times, if nothing else to keep her trade value up. I did try to watch her on the bench in the fourth quarter and she looked supportive despite everything that was going on. It’s worth keeping an eye on going forward.

  2. Three cheers for the rookies - The smile on Saniya Rivers’ face as she got a first-quarter steal and layup said everything. She was only supposed to play a handful of minutes after practicing just twice, missing two weeks after her mom's death, but ended up logging 25 minutes (second most on the team) and getting 11 points. And who was the leading rebounder for the Sun? Rayah Marshall, with six in 10 minutes of action, which included forcing Wilson into a turnover at one point. I’m not sure what they will produce in the short-term, but it’s good for the future.

  3. Rotations, rotations -  Jacy Sheldon had a bit of an offensive nightmare going scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting, but she was also physically dominated on the defensive end in the first half as well as she got taken to the rim. Meanwhile, Lindsay Allen didn’t even attempt a shot in 11 minutes and finished -22. We did see Rivers get a little time at the point guard and Bria Hartley scored seven points in 20 minutes. Again, there aren’t easy answers here and it’s very early, but it’s worth watching.


Player of the game:  Saniya Rivers - Apologies to Tina Charles, who had a game-high 20 points, but this night belonged to Rivers for the Sun. Only she knows how hard the last couple of weeks have been for her, but - again - to see her smile in her WNBA debut and put up 11 points with a three-pointer was amazing.


Inside the numbers : 6 -  Number of three-pointers made by Jewell Loyd on nine attempts. If the Aces can get her hot, they definitely have a chance to contend again. The Sun as a team were just 3-for-17 (after going 3-for-14 in the opener).


Under the radar: Olivia Nelson-Ododa also spent a long period of time on the bench in the first half and it wasn’t because of foul trouble. Granted, the score was still a bit lopsided at the time, but was still interesting to see Rayah Marshall get as much time as she did in the first half.


Quotable:  “I've been trying not to cry like all day. They (my teammates) have done so much for me on and off the court. I wasn't with them for like two weeks, and Tina was checking in on me every day. She didn't have to. You hear stories about other teams, and you just don't know how it's going to be, but the fact that she just stepped up in a big sister role motivated me. Losing my mom has been the toughest thing I've ever faced in my life, and I'm playing for her. I know she's looking over me and protecting me in a different way. This night meant the world to me.” - Saniya Rivers (see her full comments below at 1:35)


Next up: Friday at Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.



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