Fowles, Collier and Dangerfield lead Lynx over Sun

Connecticut’s Brionna Jones (left) jostles with Minnesota’s Damiris Dantas
for a rebound. Photo courtesy Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

BRADENTON, Fla.—A season that held such high expectations by the Connecticut Sun and their fans is slowly slipping away. The Sun, who pushed the eventual champion Washington Mystics to a fifth and final game in the 2019 Finals before falling 89-78, were hoping to replicate their success this season—with one more win, of course.

But that was before COVID-19 struck.

Sylvia Fowles had 21 points and 13 rebounds, while former UConn star and 2019 Rookie of the Year Napheesa Collier came within a whisker of a double-double with 17 points, nine rebounds as well as four blocked shots, to lead the Minnesota Lynx over the Sun 78-69 on Saturday. All 2020 games are being played at what has become known as “The Wubble” at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Collier made all seven of her shots from the field and had four assists. Another former Husky, rookie Crystal Dangerfield, put up a season-high 17 points to go along with three assists and three steals for the Lynx (3-1), who trailed by as many as 10 points late in the first half.

Jasmine Thomas hit a 3-pointer to pull Connecticut (0-4) even at 65-all with 6:50 to play but Minnesota went on an 11-0 run over the next five-plus minutes to put the game on ice. Minnesota’s Damiris Dantas scored all five of her points during that stretch and finished with eight boards and two steals.

Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner led all scorers with 28 points—fueled by five 3-pointers—and Brionna Jones had a season-high 15 points. Bonner, acquired from the Phoenix Mercury this offseason in exchange for three first-round draft picks, is averaging a career-best 27.5 points per game this season.

The Sun cooled off considerably in the second half—particularly in the fourth quarter when Connecticut hit just three of the 17 shots they took from the field (17.6 percent) and was manhandled (or womanhandled) by the Lynx to the tune of 17-9. For the game, the Sun shot just 22-for-63 from the field (34.9 percent).

“They hurt us in the paint,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said, stating the obvious. The Lynx held a 40-27 rebound advantage. "We played hard again. We're tired. We’re defeated a little bit mentally. We had the lead three times out of four at halftime.”

The Sun took a 42-35 lead into the locker room at intermission on Saturday.

“We know we’re close,” continued Miller. “We’ve just got to string together two halves.”

In the same game, that is.

The loss—Connecticut’s second to Minnesota in a week—drops the Sun to 0-4 as their season is slowly slipping away. The Lynx improve to 3-1. Connecticut returns to action Tuesday night at The Wubble when they hope to pick up their first win of the season against Breanna Stewart and the Seattle Storm. Tip-off is at 9 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on ESNP2. The Lynx next game will be against the 0-3 New York Liberty on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on CBS Sports Network and Fox Sports North Plus.

The Skinny

—Staff Reports

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