Sun Stop Aces, Take Control of Series

The Connecticut Sun celebrate Game 3 victory over Las Vegas Aces as clock runs down. 

By Bob Phillips

BRADENTON, Fla.—After leaving Game 2 of the WNBA semifinal series against the Las Vegas
Aces with what was later diagnosed as a dislocated shoulder, not much was expected from Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas--certainly for game three. But you know what they say about assuming something...

Thomas scored 23 points, knocking down 10 of 21 shots with a sore shoulder, and led the Sun to a 76-68 victory over the Aces on Thursday night. The victory gave the Sun a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series meaning Connecticut needs just one win in the next two games to advance to the WNBA Finals against the winner of the Seattle-Minnesota series, while Vegas must run the table.

Thomas, who was injured in the first quarter of Tuesday night's game won by the Aces, was originally listed as "out" for Game 3 before her status was upgraded to "questionable." She came roaring out of the gate, scoring 13 points in the first two periods, giving the Sun a 56-53 lead at intermission.

But the Aces came roaring back in the third, outscoring the Sun by a 24-15 margin, taking a 56-53 lead into the fourth quarter.

Thomas, the wounded warrior, ended up with a double-double after hauling down 12 boards. She also turned up the volume in the closing minutes of the contest, scoring eight points in the final 180 seconds of regulation. The last basket came after a steal with 45 seconds left and gave the Sun an insurmountable seven-point advantage.

“I’m just doing me,” Thomas said. “I’m a tough person. I can handle a lot. I know what I’m capable of. I just want to be out there fighting with my team.”

While that might seem possible to overcome in some instances, the Sun's calling card is a ferocious defense. Case in point: Connecticut forced 15 Vegas turnovers; five came in the game's final 2:50, allowing the Sun to finish the game on a 10-2 run.

But this one was anyting but a blowout. Indeed, the top-seeded Aces were up seven midway through the fourth quarter and eyeing a chance to take the lead the series. But Connecticut, which opened the season at 0-5 before finally getting their legs and qualifying as the No. 7 (out of 8) seed in the tournament, put the pedal to the metal and closed out the game with a 20-4 run the that puts them one victory from reaching the finals for the second straight season.

Thomas scored eight points during that run. She also scored six of Connecticut’s final 10 points and had two steals during that game-ending run.

“I’ve known AT a long time,” Sun Brionna Jones said. “No matter what, injured or not, she’s going to play hard.”

“I’ve never dislocated it like that (on Tuesday),” AT said. “It was very painful going out and putting it back in. [Wednesday] I was super-sore, as to be expected.

“I’m used to it." she continued. "I knew what to expect. That wasn’t going to stop me. I think we have a great opportunity in this series, and I want to be a part of it. Once I heard it was up to me, I knew I’d be out there.”

The loss puts the top-seeded Aces one loss away from an extended vacation.
“A lot of stuff that wins playoff games, they were able to do and we weren’t,” Vegas coach Bill Laimbeer, a key member of the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" team in the late '80s and early '90s, said. “That’s the difference in the ballgame.”

Brionna Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and DeWanna Bonner 12 points and 10 boards for the Sun. It's the first time in league postseason history a team had three players with double-doubles in points and rebounds. Bonner moved up to 12th in career playoff points, passing Taj McWilliams-Franklin.

A'ja Wilson led the Aces with 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Angel McCoughtry added 16 points. Las Vegas had 15 turnovers to four for the Sun, who won despite going 1 of 11 from 3-point range.

While Sun fans may have been surprised with Alyssa Thomas's quick return, Laimbeer was not.

“This is something that happens to her all the time,” Laimbeer said. “[The shoulder] pops out, [and] it pops back in. It was clear [Wednesday] she was going to play. We were prepared for that. We had the game in our hands in the fourth quarter.”
The Sun now will try to close out the series on Sunday. Game 4 tips off at 1 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live on ESPN.
                                                                                                                                    —with staff reports

Wilson Leads Aces Over Sun, Series Tied 1-1

A'ja Wilson took control to lead the Las Vegas Aces over the Connecticut Sun in
Game 2 of the WNBA semifinal series Tuesday night.

BRADENTON, Fla.—A'ja Wilson scored 29 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and had a career-high seven blocked shots to lead the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces past the Connecticut Sun 83-75 on Tuesday night.

Wilson converted a three-point play with 1:03 remaining to break a 75-75 tie. Then, following Connecticut's 17th turnover, Wilson drove the lane and made the layup while being fouled. She missed the free throw, but Angel McCoughtry grabbed the rebound and Dearica Hamby made 1 of 2 free throws for an eight-point lead. McCoughtry, Hamby and Kayla McBride each added 11 points for Las Vegas. It was Wilson's 16th game with 20-plus points this season. 

 “We were going to win this game,” said Wilson , the rising superstar out of South Carolina—Wilson was the 2018 Rookie of the Year and was named this season's Most Valuable Player. “I didn't want to be down 2-0.Got to find ways to make it happen," Wilson said. "Tried my best to do it.”

DeWanna Bonner popped in 23 points and grabbed seven boards for Connecticut, which led throughout most of the game, and Briann January added 20 points. Alyssa Thomas, averaging 15.5 points and nine rebounds, left the game in the first quarter after injuring her right shoulder and did not return. The full extent of her injury has not yet been announced, although the former Maryland star has been ruled out of Game 3.

Connecticut coach Curt Miller said he didn't know what Thomas' status was for the rest of the series. "I will find out more," he said. "Dislocated shoulder is the rumor that's floating around the bench, but it's not confirmed."

Jasmine Thomas, who scored a career-high 31 points in Game 1, was held to 10 points. With Jonquel Jones opting out of the entire season over COVID-19 concerns, and Alyssa Thomas's availability uncertain, the Sun will need Jasmine Thomas to step up her game in order to be competitive against the tournament's top seeded team.

The series resumes Wednesday night for Game 3. Tip-off is slated for 9:30 and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Staff Reports

Sun Shock Aces To Open WNBA Semifinals

By Bob Phillips BRADENTON, Fla.—Wow. Just Wow. The Connecticut Sun, who were within five minutes of claiming their first-ever WNBA title last season before eventually

falling to the defending champion Washington Mystics, weren’t supposed to make much noise this year. Gone from last year’s team are Shekinna Stricklen, who signed a free-agent contract with the Atlanta Dream, Courtney Williams (traded to Atlanta), former UConn star Morgan Tuck, who was traded to Seattle, and especially Jonquel Jones, Connecticut’s top player who opted to sit out this season because of COVID-19 concerns. After starting the 2020 season 0-5, the Sun gradually gained their footing and qualified for the postseason as the No. 7 seed (out of 8), As such, they weren’t expected to make much noise. Guess what? They are. After eliminating the Chicago Sky and the LA Sparks in the first two rounds—both of the one-and done variety—the Sun were not expected to give the tournament’s No. 1 seed, the Las Vegas Aces (coached by “Bad Boy” Bill Laimbeer, a four-time NBA ALL-Star and three-time NBA champion with the Pistons, who also owns three WNBA championship rings as a coach—all with the former Detroit Shock who moved first to Oklahoma City and then Dallas where they currently play as the Wings) much of a challenge. Aces who obviously were dealt a bad hand. Regular season MVP A’ja Jones led all scorers and was one of five Aces in double-digits (Jackie Young and Dearica Hamby both with 20 off the bench, Kayla McBride with 14 and Angel McCoughtry with 11). Young and Hamby’s play off the bench offset the miserable performances by Vegas starters center Carolyn Swords two points, two rebounds and point guard Lindsay Allen with no points and three assists. Yes, you heard that right. The vaunted Connecticut defense held the Aces’ starting center and point guard to two points. Total. The Sun were led by Jasmine Thomas who threw down a career-high 31 points, Thomas was dealing with a plantar fasciitis (a foot irritation). It didn’t slow her down, though. Thomas shot 9-for-12 from the field (75 percent) with 22 points in the first half as the Sun took a commanding 36-25 lead at intermission. For the game, Thomas finished 13-for-18 (72 percent). “I knew the pull-up would be there,” said Thomas. “I just took the first few without a conscience and with confidence.” Can you say en fuego? “She was on fire today,” said Sun guard Natisha Hiedman, who scored 14 off the bench for Connecticut. “She was just going crazy the whole game!” “I called less plays tonight than I have for weeks,” said Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller, who is largely responsible for constructing the team as it currently exists. “Just stay out of their way and let them feel the game. It’s fun to watch a player like Jas tonight. She just got into her rhythm.” For the game, the Sun held the Aces to 33 percent shooting from the field, including an abysmal 1-for-14 from beyond the arc. The 62 points was the lowest Las Vegas output all season. “Just a credit to our players’ tenacity and toughness,” Miller said. “Vegas can really bully you [remember who they’re coched by, afterall] and can really play excellent basketball. That was about 14 or 15 fewer field goals than they madein a [regular-season] game against us in the bubble. “Everything tonight was energy, effort and tenacity.” Besides Jasmine Thomas’s 31 points, Alyssa Thomas had 18 points, five assists and five steals. The two teams go at it again tomorrow (Tuesday) night in Game 2. Tip-off is at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. —with staff reports

Sun Spank Sparks, Head to WNBA Semifinals Match-Up With Vegas

Sun center Brionna Jones (right) steals the ball from Sparks center Kristine Anigwe
during the first half of Connecticut's second-round victory over Los Angeles.

By Bob Phillips

BRADENTON, Fla.—It was a combination of Bombs Away a stingy defense that ultimately led to a
73-59 win by the Connecticut Sun over the Los Angeles Sparks in second-round WNBA playoff action. In the WNBA’s unique postseason format, both the first and second rounds are one-and-done affairs. That makes it a veritable “survival of the fittest” with virtually no margin of error for the participating teams.

One bad game and it’s “Hasta La Vista, Baby! See you in 2021!”

Before the game it was reported that LA’s star power forward Nneke Ogwumike would sit out the game with migraine headaches. Nneke’s younger sister and teammate, former Sun star Chiney, is taking the season off because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sun’s top player, Jonquel Jones, is sitting out the 2020 season for the same reason.

It was a slow start for Connecticut, which missed its first five shots from the field, before Brionna Jones hit a short jumper in the lane with 6:47 remaining in the first period. Then, however, it was off to the races for the Sun. Connecticut then raced out to a 22-8 lead at the first turn and never looked back. Defense remained the Sun calling card as they held LA to just 21 percent.

The Sparks came roaring back and cut the Sun lead to just six on a 10-0 run in the second period, but the Sun regained control of the game and as the second period ended Connecticut headed into the locker room with a commanding 39-23 lead.

That lead grew to 19 at the end of the third quarter, and when Briann January hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to give the Sun their largest lead of 20.

The Sparks' Candace Parker led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for the Sparks, who were without third-leading scorer Nneka Ogwumike, sidelined with a migraine. But a suffocating Connecticut defense held L.A.'s star guard Chelsea Gray was held to just four points.

Alyssa Thomas led the Sun with 19 points, while DeWanna Bonner put up a Double-Double with a 17-point, 13-rebound effort. Briann January (22) and Brionna Jones and Jasmine Thomas (10 points each) also scored in double digits for the Sun.

The Sparks came into the game as the league's top three-point shooting team at just under 40 percent from beyond the arc, but the Sun played outstanding perimeter defense, forcing the Sparks to miss their first 12 three-point attempts and holding L.A. To just 2-for-18 from beyond the arc. And the Sparks' 59 points were represented their lowest offensive output for the season.

“We have felt at times like we're a top-four team in this league,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said after the game. “We just haven't been able to put it togeter at the offensive end. But defense, rebounding and low turnovers can carry the day—certainly in a playoff game. [Today] we defended, we rebounded and we controlled the ball.”

The Sun now move on to the semifinals where they will face the Las Vegas Aces in a best-three-of-five series. Game One will be on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET) and the game will be televised live on ESPN.

—with staff reports

Connecticut Sun center Brionna Jones, right, steals the ball from Sparks center Kristine Anigwe during the first half of the Sun's second-round victory over Los Angeles.

Dangerfield Named WNBA Rookie of the Year

Crystal Dangerfield, a second-round pick in last year's draft,
has earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors. She becomes
the sixth UConn alumna to be named the league's top rookie.

By Bob Phillips

BRADENTON, Fla.– Former UConn star Crystal Dangerfield was named the 2020 WNBA Rookie of the Year this afternoon. Dangerfield, the No. 16 overall selection in the 2020 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx, is the first second round pick to earn Rookie of the Year honors in WNBA history, and the sixth former Husky to earn WNBA Rookie of the Year, joining Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier. She also becomes the second Husky to win the award in the last two years. Collier was the top rookie in 2019.

The 22-year-old superstar in the making received 44 votes from a national panel of 47 sportswriters and broadcasters. Atlanta Dream guard Chennedy Carter finished second with two votes and Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally was third with one vote.

As a second-round pick, Dangerfield wasn't expected to be a major contributor to the Lynx, at least in her first season. But a flurry of injuries thrust the Murfreesboro, Tenn., native into the starting lineup, and she certainly made the most of the opportunity. Dangerfield ranked 11th in the WNBA in scoring (16.2 ppg, pacing the Lynx) and third in free throw percentage (92.2 percent) while starting 19 of her 21 regular-season games and logging 30.0 minutes per contest. Among WNBA rookies, Dangerfield ranked first in three throw percentage, second in scoring, minutes and assists (3.6 apg), tied for fourth in steals (0.86 spg) and fifth in field goal percentage (47.1).

“It wasn’t my goal to come in and win this,” Dangerfield said. “I wanted to win games. I guess my play stood out.”

It sure did. Increased playing time allowed for one of her key characteristics while playing for the Huskies—leadership--surface quicker than it might have otherwise. She finished second in the league in fourth-quarter scoring (6.5 points), and shot 58.3 percent from the field in the fourth quarter.

But her leadership really came through in crunch time. In the fourth quarter. She finished second in the league in fourth-quarter scoring (6.5 points), and her shooting percentage jumped to 58.3% in the final quarter.

“That comes from back in college,” Dangerfield said. “Coach Auriemma always said you can’t wait for things to happen, you have to make them happen.”

“She’s been super aggressive, and she’s been so great for our team,” noted Collier. “Her heart is so big, just the way she plays, just flying her body around. I always knew Crystal had that in her. You could see it at UConn. But she’s really embraced that role on the Lynx. It’s just the beginning for her.”

The Lynx now have earned five Rookie of the Year honors—a list that includes another former Husky great, Maya Moore, who was the WNBA's top rookie in 2011.

—with staff reports

Big East Women's Tournament Lands in CT

UNCASVILLE–The Big East Women's Basketball tourament will be played at the Mohegan Sun Arena beginning in 2021, the conference announced today. The agreement spans three years and includes the 2021, 2022 and 2023 conference postseason tournaments.

The Big East just completed a three-year run for the event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill.The move follows the recent readmission of the University of Connecticut to the Big East as a member school. UConn was a charter member of the Big East when the conference was formed in 1979 and formally re-joined the conference on July 1, 2020.  The 11-time national champion Huskies spent the past seven years in the American Athletic Conference, winning all seven women's basketball league tournaments and going 118-0 in conference action.

“We’re thrilled to have the Big East Tournament come to Mohegan Sun," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma. "We have the best women’s basketball fans in the nation in Connecticut and they’ll be excited to see UConn back in the Big East. Continue wearing masks and taking necessary health and safety precautions so this tournament can take place in 2021.”

​"We are very excited to bring one of the Big East's premier competitions to Mohegan Sun Arena, a one-of-a-kind facility that has long served as one of the best women's basketball venues in the country," said Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman.  "We are proud to welcome the Huskies and their women's basketball fans back into the Big East fold, and we look forward to working with Amber Cox and her staff to deliver a memorable and first-class experience for our student-athletes, coaches and supporters."

The Mohegan Sun Arena is a 10,000-seat venue located in southeastern Connecticut offering features year-round entertainment. It has hosted the likes of Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Jay Z, Keith Urban, Bon Jovi and Kenny Chesney in addition to championship boxing and MMA, top-touring stand-up comedy, WWE, NCAA Division I and professional basketball. In addition, the Mohegan Sun Arena has been the home of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun since 2003. The WNBA is playing its 2020 season at the IMG Academy in Floriday because of the coronovirus pandemic.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament to Mohegan Sun Arena,” said Amber Cox, Vice President of the Connecticut Sun and the National Lacrosse League’s New England Black Wolves. “Connecticut is the women’s basketball capital of the world, with the most passionate fans in the country, supporting both the UConn Huskies and the Sun year-round. This marquee event is sure to be a highlight for all Big East fans, who will not only get to enjoy incredible basketball action, but all the entertainment offerings of Mohegan Sun as well.”

The past seven Big East Women’s Basketball Tournaments have been played in the Midwest – 2014-15 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.; 2016 at McGrath-Phillips Arena on DePaul University’s campus in Chicago; 2017 at the Al McGuire Center on Marquette University’s campus in Milwaukee, Wis.; before a three-year run at Wintrust Arena in downtown Chicago. Prior to conference realignment in 2013-14, the Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament was played for 10 consecutive seasons at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., following a run of 21 years at on-campus arenas. The Big East led the nation in conference postseason attendance for nine of 10 years while in Hartford.

DePaul has won the last three Big East Women's Basketball Tournament titles and five of the last seven to rank second to only Connecticut for championships won. The Huskies have 18 Big East postseason crowns to their credit, most recently winning in 2012. St. John’s (2016, 1988, 1984, 1983), Villanova (2003, 1987, 1986), Marquette (2017) and Providence (1990) have also won the Big East Tournament.
                                                                                                                                            –Staff Reports