GAME PREVIEW: Pair of 2022 WNBA Finals Rematches Up Next For Undefeated Aces

June 5, 2023

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun squared off against one another in the 2022 WNBA Finals, with the Aces coming away with their first championship in franchise history. So it is only fitting that, two weeks into the season, those teams meet again boasting the top two records in the league—Las Vegas at a perfect 6-0, and Connecticut with a nearly identical mark of 6-1. The Aces and Sun play Tuesday, June 6, and Thursday, June 8 at Mohegan Sun. Tip time for both games is at 4 pm PT.

(Game Notes)

The Aces pulled out a pair of squeakers in the first two games of their current four-game road trip, edging Atlanta, 92-87, on Friday, and Indiana on Sunday, 84-80. Against the Dream, Las Vegas nearly gave up a 19-point lead before holding on for the win, and vs. the Fever, it had to erase a double-digit fourth quarter deficit to remain undefeated.

Las Vegas is once again in possession of the most efficient offense in the WNBA (110.4 OER), but it also owns the best defense in the league (89.4 DER). The Aces are shooting a WNBA-best 48.1 percent from the field, and turning the ball over on just 14.1 percent of their possessions, which is the lowest figure in the league. Defensively, they lead the W in defensive rebound percentage (.794),

Guard Jackie Young has upped her game yet again, averaging a career-best 21.8 points per game, making 60.0 percent of her shots, and 51.7 from distance. She was named the Associated Press WNBA Player of the Week in the first week of the season. A’ja Wilson has been her usual consistent self, averaging 20.7 points per game, on a career-best 54.9 percent from the floor.

Connecticut has a slightly different look to its roster this season. Gone are last year's leading scorer Jonquel Jones, traded to New York during the offseason, and long-time head coach Curt Miller, who is now at the helm of the Los Angeles Sparks. Three other players who averaged double figures in scoring for the Sun a year ago are back in the fold and leading the offensive charge this year—DeWanna Bonner (16.0 ppg.), Brionna Jones (14.9) and Alyssa Thomas (14.4). Tiffany Hayes, who signed with Connecticut as a free agent, is averaging 12.9 points per game.

Stephanie White is the new Sun head coach, making her return to the WNBA sidelines after a seven-year hiatus. She coached the Indiana Fever from 2015-16, posting a combined record of 37-31, and advancing to the WNBA Finals in 2015 before falling to the Minnesota Lynx.

The Aces are 19-32 all-time during the regular season against Connecticut, but 6-3 in the postseason where they have won both series vs. the Sun. Las Vegas won two of three games against Connecticut during the 2022 regular season before winning three of four in the WNBA Finals.

June 6, 2023

June 4, 2023

June 3, 2023

June 2, 2023