Sun Hold on for 88-83 Win Over Storm

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—Anyone wondering why this reporter often refers to the Seattle Storm as “UConn West” need only look at the Storm’s starting lineup last night: Breanna Stewart, Gabby Williams, Tina Charles and, of course, Sue Bird. That’s four former Huskies in the starting lineup. UConn West, indeed.

But the sellout crowd (9,137) at the Mohegan Sun Arena was there to bid adieu to one of their former Husky icons: Sue Bird. The 41-year-old Long Island native and future Hall of Famer, widely considered the best point guard in WNBA history, Bird entered the league in 2002 after winning two national championships with the Huskies and was likely making her final appearance as a player in the state she once considered “home.” And the way she started out—banging home her first three-point shots as Seattle raced out to an early 10-point lead, it looked early on that it was going to be her night—even though the Sun had won the first two meetings between the two teams. But even though Governor Ned Lamont declared the day to be “Sue Bird Day” in the Nutmeg State, the Sun had other ideas on how the night would play out.

In the end, led by a game-high 19-point effort from Alyssa Thomas, the Sun held on for a hard-fought 72-68 victory.

All five Storm starters scored in double digits: Williams (14), Stewart (10), Charles (14), Bird (14) and Jewell Lloyd (14). The Seattle bench, however, proved to be a non-factor as only eight points was put up by non-starters.

The Sun matched the Storm the double-digit parade. In addition to AT’s 19, Brionna Jones put in 13, DeWanna Bonner and Courtney Williams chipped in with 12 apiece, and DiJonai Carrington contributed 11 off the Connecticut bench. And Jonquel Jones just missed joining the Double-D club with a nine-point effort.

Charles added 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Alyssa Thomas had 10 assists for a double-double of her own.

The Sun trailed by three after the first quarter, but rallied to take a 44-40 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The game was hotly contested throughout the second half. A trey by Stewie tied the game at 79-79 with just under six minutes remaining in regulation. A put-back by JJ put the Sun up by two with 5:11 left, and Connecticut never looked back.

With Seattle up by a bucket, Courtney Williams hit a running layup to tie the game at 83 apiece. A three-pointer by Natisha Heideman (six points, three assists) gave the Sun the lead it would not relinquish with 2:42 remaining. Not that the Storm didn’t make things interesting.

Indeed, three missed shots by Stewart—two two-pointers and one trey—ultimately resulted in the Connecticut victory and a sweep of the three-game season series.

After the game, Bird was effusive in her praise for Connecticut fans—the best in women’s basketball. “A lot of times as a UConn player, I feel like the fans look at us like family, and they stay with us through our careers,” she said. “That's something that I treasure, something I've really enjoyed every time I came back here. So, tonight was a perfect way to end that. I would have preferred a win, but I'll take it.”

Next up for Connecticut will be a clash with the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Sky, whom the Sun trail be 1.5 games, on Sunday. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ET at the Mohegan Sun Arena, and the game will be televised on NBA-TV and NESN+. The Sun head to our nation’s capital where they will take on the Washington Mystics. Tip-off is at noon ET and the game will be televised on ESPN.

Sun Spots

* It was the Sun’s first sellout at the Mohegan Sun Arena since the 2019 WNBA Finals.

* Geno Auriemma watched the parade of former Huskies from a sky box.

* Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont declared Thursday ''Sue Bird Day'' in Connecticut. “[Bird] is a trailblazer, whose tenacity has elevated the sport of basketball. Connecticut is proud to be part of her journey,'' he tweeted.

* “I appreciate that [the Connecticut crowd] honor and welcome back the UConn players, but through and through they are Sun fans, and I appreciate that balance.”—Sun head coach and Curt Miller