Bill Laimbeer says Aces lack energy in loss to Connecticut

An announced crowd of 1,954 brought enthusiasm and energy to Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday. But the team it came to cheer for sure didn’t.

Not according to Aces coach Bill Laimbeer.

“Our energy level was not there at all today. That was the most disappointing thing about our team,” he said after a 72-65 loss to the Connecticut Sun. “That can’t continue. We need energy from everybody.”

The Aces (2-2) struggled to match Connecticut’s physicality and faltered in a rematch of last year’s WNBA semifinals. A’ja Wilson scored a team-high 14 points, and Chelsea Gray added 13 points and five assists.

But the Sun (5-0) used their size and length to contain drives and challenge shots at the rim, limiting what had been a potent offense for Las Vegas. Gray said the Aces “played into their hands for a lot of possessions” en route to their lowest regular-season output since June 25, 2019.

“We didn’t play to our strengths at all,” she said.

The Aces are at their best when they’re in transition. When a guard is pushing the ball up the floor. When Wilson or Liz Cambage is sealing early in possessions. When shooters are running to the corners, creating driving lanes or space for easy entry passes.

They uncorked their transition offense Friday in their home opener against the Los Angeles Sparks.

But they didn’t rebound the ball well enough Sunday to play with the pace they prefer.

Connecticut’s front line of Jonquel Jones and Brionna Jones crashed the offensive glass, preventing the Aces from securing defensive rebounds. Jonquel Jones finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds while limiting Wilson to 4-for-13 shooting as her primary defender. Brionna Jones added 19 points and helped spur a 44-26 rebounding advantage, including a 12-1 edge on the offensive glass.

With limited transition opportunities, Las Vegas was forced to play in the halfcourt against a defense designed to encourage perimeter shots. The Sun switched or doubled on ball screen actions as to deter drives to the basket and force kick-out passes.

Shots at the rim were hard to come by.

“They know exactly what they need to do,” Wilson said of the Sun. “They would hit first. We’ve just got to understand that that’s what teams are gonna try to do with us.”

Still, the Aces were adept in executing their own defensive game plan, funneling drives into Cambage, who blocked four shots and altered others. They led 33-27 at halftime after holding Connecticut to nine second-quarter points, but their offense sputtered in the third quarter.

DeWanna Bonner scored a game-high 22 points for Connecticut and made a crucial 3-pointer in the final minute from the left wing.

“If we take care of our business, we’re going to be OK,” Laimbeer said. “The energy factor today was disturbingly not there.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.