Aces trump Sun at Mohegan to keep Connecticut winless in WNBA

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Chennedy Carter scored 27 points on 13-of-16 shooting, A’ja Wilson had 14 of her 22 points in the third quarter, and the Las Vegas Aces routed the Connecticut Sun, 98-69, Wednesday night.

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The teams face each other again on Friday night back at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Wilson also had 11 rebounds in just 22 minutes for her 121st career double-double.

Carter made 7 of 9 shots in the first half for 14 points to help Las Vegas build a 48-37 lead. Jackie Young added 10 points as the Aces shot 54 percent from the field despite going 1 of 7 from 3-point range.

Carter went coast-to-coast to beat the third-quarter buzzer on a layup for a 78-53 lead as Las Vegas outscored the Sun, 30-16, in the frame.

Young and Jewell Loyd each finished with 11 points, and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus had 10 for Las Vegas (2-1). The bench players for the Aces combined for 48 points.

Aneesah Morrow had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 14 points for Connecticut (0-3). Brittney Griner (left foot) and Aaliyah Edwards (left thigh) did not play.

The Sun shot just 33 percent from the field, including 3 of 13 from 3-point range. Connecticut was also outrebounded, 46-29.

The WNBA and NBA board of governors unanimously approved the sale and relocation of the Sun to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, the league announced Wednesday.

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The two sides had reached an agreement to sell the team for $300 million in March, according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke then on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the sale. The two sides had to wait for approval from the board of governors to make it official.

The Sun will play the remainder of this season in Connecticut with most of the games at the Mohegan Sun Arena — the team’s home since 2003.

The franchise will also play two games in Hartford and another one in Boston before moving to Houston before next season.

“I want our staff and players to just be able to focus on this season and being present for the 2026 last season in Connecticut,” Sun president Jen Rizzotti said. “I think our fans deserve that. And I think as a front office staff, our job is to continue to put on a great show and put a great product on the floor, but also make sure that we’re inviting people into this arena for the last time, and they’re going to create some experiences that will last forever.”

The Mohegan Tribe bought the franchise in 2003 and moved it from Orlando to Connecticut.

Rizzotti said the Rockets group has already had initial collaborations with Sun personnel. There will be more now that the sale is officially moving forward.

“As far as the move, we’ll digest that when the time comes after the season,” Rizzotti said. ”Obviously, there’s a lot of positive repercussions of being associated with a team that has the kind of resources and infrastructure that Houston has, and I think that’s a positive for our players and our basketball staff as they move into the future, especially with this new CBA.”

The Sun’s president said that she was under the impressions that people currently working with the team would be able to move to Houston if they wanted to do so.

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