Scorching Sun Foil Fever

By Bob Phillips                                                                             Photos courtesy NBAE/Getty Images

Happy members of the Connecticut Sun walk off the court with an
89-73 victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday

UNCASVILLE –  Alyssa Thomas led the way with a 14-point, eight-assist, four-steal performance, and Jonquel “Double D” Jones chipped in with her third consecutive double-double (14 points, 13 boards)—her 13th of the season—to lead the Connecticut Sun past the Indiana Fever, 89-73, before 6,145 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday afternoon. Jasmine Thomas (15 points), Alex Bentley (11), and Courtney Williams also put up double digits for the red-hot Sun, who have won 13 of their last 17 games.

“I think in our last few games we waited until the second half to kind of get going, so coach has been on us about starting the game the way we play the second half and come out really hard,” said Jones on the Sun’s fast start out of the gate. “So, yeah I’m happy with it. We were locked in and ready to go.”

Erica Wheeler and Jazmon Gwathmey led Indiana with 13 points apiece. The Fever, who fell to 8-16, have lost four consecutive games, and nine of their last 10.

The Sun completely dominated this one, leading 29-13 at the first turn, 47-28 at intermission and 80-45 at the end of the third period. In fact, the Sun led by 38 late in the third quarter--the largest hole the Fever have been in all season long—before Connecticut let up on the gas pedal with the outcome essentially decided.

Jonquel "Double D" Jones had her third
straight double-double. It was her 13th
of the season.

Indeed, the Sun pretty much put this one away from the outset, opening the game with a 16-4 run, forcing five Indiana turnovers and holding the Fever to 2-for-8 shooting from the field in the game’s first six minutes.

“They’re (Connecticut) are a good team,” said Indiana head coach Pokey Chatman. “They are playing at home, they have some rhythm going and we let them get off to a comfortable start. I am not excited about battling back from down 38. We gave them 23 points off 18 turnovers. We dug a 12-foot hole but only had a seven-foot ladder.”

“The big key was keeping them out of the paint,” said Sun head coach Curt Miller. “In the first half, the discrepancy of points in the paint between the two teams was large. Couldn’t be more proud of the way we played.”

The Sun, who won their second consecutive game, improved to 14-9 overall and are looking good in their quest to snag their first postseason bid since 2012—Mike Thibault’s last season at the helm. Connecticut will play seven of its next eight games in the cozy confines of the Mohegan Sun Arena starting on Friday night when they will entertain Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury. Tip-off is at 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on CSNHD and streamed on WNBA League Pass.

—with staff reports