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| The Connecticut Sun dropped their season opener to the Minnesota Lynx, 77-69. All games are being played in the so-called "Wubble" in Bradenton, Fla. |
BRADENTON,
Fla.—It may have
taken a while thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the WNBA season finally got
started this weekend and, as with virtually every WNBA game played, there were
plenty of Connecticut connections. Led by Sylvia Fowles’ had 17 points and 18
rebounds, the Minnesota Lynx rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat
the Connecticut Sun, 77-69, on Sunday. Former UConn star Napheesa Collier scored
nine of her 11 points in the final five minutes. Shenise Johnson scored 13
points for Minnesota and another former Husky, rookie Crystal Dangerfield, had
10 points in her WNBA debut for the Lynx.
Alyssa Thomas
led Connecticut with 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
DeWanna Bonner, a three-time All-Star who signed as a free agent with the Sun
this offseason, added 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Collier hit a
3-pointer and, after the Sun's Brionna Jones made a put-back layup to make it
65-all, Dangerfield made another 3 to give Minnesota the lead for good with
3:21 to play.
The Lynx
missed their first 11 3-point shots before making four of their last six over
the final 10-plus minutes.
The Sun
return to action on Tuesday in a replay of last year’s WNBA Finals with the
Washington Mystics. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. (ET) and the game will be
televised on NESN+ and NBC Sports Washington.
Seattle
Storms Past Libs
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| Sabrina Ionescu had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in her WNBA debut. |
In the day’s other action for Connecticut sports fans, UConn
legend Breanna Stewart
poured in 18 points, grabbed eight boards and picked up four steals in her
first WNBA game since leading Seattle to the 2018 championship, helping the Storm
sail past the New York Liberty 87-71. It was the season opener for both teams. Stewie
missed all last season after tearing her Achilles tendon while playing for her
Russian club team in April 2019.
Jewell Loyd scored 14 points and the Storm’s other UConn
legend—Sue Bird (who also missed the 2019, because of a knee injury)—added 11
points, hitting 3 of 5 from 3-point range, and also chipped in with five
assists for Seattle.
Sabrina
Ionescu, the overall No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, had 12 points,
six rebounds and four assists in her WNBA debut. While those numbers look good
on paper, we all know looks can be deceiving—particularly when you consider the
former Oregon superstar went 4-for-17 from the floor (.235), including 0-for-8
from beyond the arc. She also committed four turnovers. Layshia Clarendon led New
York with 20 points.
Loyd hit a trey, then converted a conventional three-point
play before Stewart made a layup to put Seattle up 34-26 and the Storm led the
rest of the way. Jordin Canada scored six points during a 14-4 run to open the
fourth quarter that gave the Storm their largest lead when she found Stewart
for a 3-pointer that capped the spurt and made it 80-61 with 4:44 to play.
New York’s Kia Nurse— another former UConn star—left the
game early in the second quarter because of an ankle injury and did not return.
The 2020 WNBA season, delayed and shortened by the
coronavirus pandemic, will be played in a bubble—which players coaches and WNBA
aficionados are referring to as “The Wubble”—at the IMG Academy.
—Staff Reports
#ctsun / @ConnecticutSun / #wnba / @wnba / #uconn /
#uconnwbb / #uconnhuskies / #UConnNation / @uconnwbb / #bleedblue
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