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| A big second half performance by Alyssa Thomas led the Sun to a 93-72 win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday. |
By Bob Phillips
Connecticut held a 18-13 advantage at the first turn fueled by
Jonquel Jones’ seven points and six rebounds, and took a 38-32 lead into the
locker room at intermission.
“We were rusty,” said Alyssa Thomas. “We had a little break,
so in the first half we were just shaking off the rust. We missed a lot of open
shots.”
Chicago trailed by just three, 56-53, with 2:55 remaining in the third
quarter. But the Sun a 13-4 run to end the third, and a 9-0 run to open the
fourth, gave Connecticut a 78-57 lead with 7:04 remaining in regulation,
effectively putting the game on ice.
“Once our defense got going, we were able to get out in transition
for some easy buckets,” explained Alyssa Thomas.
Courtney Williams scored 17 points and dished out six helpers
for Connecticut—her sixth double-digit scoring performance in the last seven
games—while Jasmine Thomas had a 17-point, six-assist effort. It was the sixth
time Williams scored in double digits in the last seven games, and the 17th
time this season she scored 10 or more points. Alyssa Thomas was a perfect
8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Jones finished 12 points and hauled down 10
boards—her 12th double-double of the season
Allie Quigley led Chicago with 20 points. Jessica Breland
and Keisha Hampton each scored 12 points for the Sky, while former UConn star
Stefanie Dolson scored eight points and led Chicago in rebounding with seven boards.
Dolson was involved in the blockbuster offseason trade that sent Elena Delle
Donne to the Washington Mystics during the offseason.
Connecticut recorded season highs in assists (27) and steals
(13), while the Sun’s 10 offensive
rebounds in the first half represented the most in a first half this season.
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| Jonquel Jones moves on former UConn star Stefanie Dolson in the paint. |
“It’s an important win for us,” said Sun head coach and
general manager Curt Miller after the game. “Trying to keep momentum that we
built before the All-Star Break. It was pretty ugly in stretches—both ways.
[But I’m] proud of the intensity—the fight that we had. It was a team win; not
always pretty but we played Sun basketball when we needed it.”
After losing their first two games at home this season, the
Sun have now run off seven straight victories in the comfy confines of the
Mohegan Sun Arena.
“They are real young, they are active, and they move a lot,”
said Chicago’s Jessica Breland. “You can tell they have chemistry. They know
each other—they can just throw passes and know they are going to be there.
Overall, they run and they get up and down with Alyssa at the four and JJ
[Jonquel Jones]… She is really athletic and that makes Connecticut difficult.”
“Connecticut plays with a lot of energy,” added Sky head
coach Amber Socks. “They are able to keep their energy level high. They go on
runs and they attack the ball screen action. Connecticut was able to draw fouls
and get some key offensive rebounds and that hurt us in the end.”
With the win, the Sun improve to 13-9 and are tied atop of the Eastern
Conference with Washington—third overall in the league. The Sun now head to
DC where they will do battle with the Mystics for first place in the Conference
on Friday night. Tip-off is at 7 p.m., and the game will be televised live on CSN New England and NBA TV.
—with staff reports
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