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| A 23-point performance from Alyssa Thomas, a Double-Double from Jonquel Jones, and a swarming Connecticut defense all added up to an Opening Night 84-69 victory for the Sun over the Mystics. (Photo by Bob Phillips) |
By Bob Phillips
The Sun led by four at the first turn, and entered the
locker room with a three-point lead, 44-41, at halftime. Then, in the third
quarter, the Sun began to pull away, outscoring the Mystics 23-12 and
Connecticut never looked back.
“We knew they were a third-quarter team coming in,” said the
Mystics’ Shatori Walker Kimbrough. “They did what they had to do, and we had a
hard time adjusting to it. But we will continue to learn from it. Kudos; hats
off to them.”
Jonquel Jones, who might as well have “Double-Double” as a
middle name, indeed registered a Double-D in her first game this season with 10
points and 14 rebounds. JJ also added three blocked shots and two steals to her
bottom line. Jasmine Thomas also scored in double digits for the Sun with 13,
to go along with six assists and three boards. Former UConn star Morgan Tuck
added eight points off the bench for the Sun, including 2-for-3 from beyond the
arc. Tuck also had two rebounds.
Emma Meesseman led the Washington effort with 14 points. She
was joined in double-digits by teammates Kristi Toliver, who had 14, Walker-Kimbrough,
with 11, and Ariel Atkins with 10. The Mystics, of course, are coached by
former Sun head coach Mike Thibault.
“Great start for us,” said Sun head coach and general
manager Curt Miller after the game. “[The Mystics are] one of my favorites.
They have so many great weapons. They had us on our heels in transition all night
to their credit. They are one of the best shooting teams in the league, and
they missed some open shots tonight.”
Not to mention that the Sun caught a humongous break when
Mystics superstar Elena Delle Donne did not make the trip in order to nurse a
jammed left knee—the same one that hobbled her in last year’s WNBA playoffs.
Forward Aerial Powers also stayed home with a left gluteal injury, and
Washington’s top draft pick, guard Kiara Leslie, was also among the missing for
the Mystics as she continues to rehab her right knee after surgery to repair a
torn meniscus.
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| Former Sun head coach Mike Thibault was back in town, but it was his former team that prevailed in this game. (Photo by Bob Phillips) |
And if that wasn’t bad enough, Toliver joined the Mystics’
M*A*S*H unit with an injured right leg, sitting out most of the fourth quarter
with an ice bag wrapped around her knee.
“It’s hard, but everybody goes through it,” said Thibault,
who coached the Sun from 2003-2012, and is a three-time WNBA Coach of the Year.
“Hopefully it only lasts a short amount of time at the start of the year and we
get better as we go [along]. It’s ugly to watch, and when Kristi got hurt… I’m
a little concerned about it. We will see when she gets home and sees the docs.”
Alyssa Thomas, meanwhile, was nearly unstoppable at times.
“She’s playing at a four position [power forward],” said JJ.
“She’s a post player [and] she’s able to just take the ball and dribble. For
most post players, someone that good, coming at you downhill, it’s unstoppable.
She hs the spin move when you try to body her, and she’s strong. If you try to
body her, she can finish with both hands.”
The Sun will next play the Indiana Fever at home on Tuesday.
Tip-off at the Mohegan Sun Arena will be at 7 p.m., and the game will be
televised on the CBS Sports Network and NESN+. Tickets starting at $10 are
available at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, or by clicking HERE.
—with staff reports
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