Sun Rally Past Mystics, 83-75

By Bob Phillips

Jonquel Jones pops in two of her game-high 24 points against the
Washington Mystics on Tuesday. J.J. was named the WNBA
Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second
consecutive week.

UNCASVILLE—Jonquel Jones led all scorers with 24 points while Courtney Williams added a season-high 23 to lead the and the Connecticut Sun beat the Washington Mystics 83-75 on Tuesday night before 5,224 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena in a meeting between the WNBA’s two top teams. It was the seventh-straight game that JJ had registered in double-digits, and it was the second time this season she registered 20 or more points—the 23rd time in her career she has put up 20 or more points.

Shekinna Stricklen added 12 points for Connecticut, with nine points coming on three shots from beyond the arc. As a team, the Sun shot nearly 50 percent from long range, banging home 10 of 21 shots taken from downtown Norwich (47.6 percent). In addition, Connecticut was nearly perfect from the foul line, putting in 11 of 12 from the charity stripe.

Alyssa Thomas hauled down a game-high 12 boards, which matched her season high. It was the fourth time this season she has registered double-digit rebounds.

The Mystics were looking to avenge a season-opening 84-69 loss to the Sun—a game also played at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Unlike last night’s game, however, the Mystics’ lineup sported WNBA All-Star Elena Delle Donne. After missing the season opener, the former All-American from Delaware returned for Game 2, and the Mystics promptly ran off four straight victories, averaging nearly 90 points per game.

Then they ran into the Sun. Again.

J.J. was 9-for-11 from the floor, including nine straight for the Sun during a third-period surge that saw Connecticut flip a 10-point deficit.

Ariel Atkins led Mystics with 18 points, while Aerial Powers added 14 for the Mystics.  Elena Delle Donne chipped in with 13 and Natasha Cloud had 12. The three-point arc was not Washington’s friend on Tuesday. The Mystics went 6-for-28 (21.4 percent) from downtown.

Washington led 24-18 at the first turn and took a 37-33 lead into the locker room at intermission. The third period, however, was all Connecticut—as it has been for most of the season. The Sun outscored the Mystics 27-18 in the third quarter, led 60-55 going into the fourth period, and never looked back.

The win was the fourth straight for Connecticut, which improves to a league-best 6-1. It marks the second straight season in which the Sun have run out to a red-hot 6-1 start. It was also the 11th straight home victory for the Sun, which matches a franchise record set during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

“The fans, especially when the game is on the line, they are really into it and we feed off that energy,” said Shekinna Stricklen, explaining her team’s success on its home court. “I think our defensive intensity goes up higher and we make some big stops when we need it.”

This game also marked the first time this season the Sun emerged victorious after trailing at halftime.

“Big win… proud of those guys in that locker room tonight,” said Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller. “That’s a 50 point second half. We were able to regroup at halftime and talk about their scheme against us that was giving us trouble. We made some adjustments and did a much better job attacking them.”

As is usually the case, the Sun defense came up big.

“That is a team that has shot makers all around the floor [and] we held them to less than 41 percent from the field” continued Miller. “[It was] the second consecutive game where they didn’t have a big night at the arc against us. Big, big win. Huge early series win. Will that make a difference down the line? I don’t know but that is a big series win against arguably the favorite in the league.  So I am proud of those guys.”

Washington head coach Mike Thibault, the winningest coach in WNBA history, was disappointed in his team’s performance.

“We missed assignments tonight,” said Thibault, who roamed the Connecticut sidelines from 2003-2012. “If we double off the wrong person and left Courtney Williams or Shekinna Stricklen open behind the three-point line when you are not supposed to be the helper… that is a killer. On top of that, we had a couple of players have tough shooting nights. The last part is we are struggling right now with getting Elena [Delle Donne] great touches and part of the is her missing two weeks at the end of training camp and we don’t have a good rhythm with her yet. I think we will get better in that area quicker than we will in other areas.”

Thibault was effusive in his praise for J.J.

“She is playing great,” continued Thibault. “Those long, tall players, the five or six in the league that post up and step out are all special. She is clearly one of those players. You don’t have a team that is 6-1 and her as player of the week on accident. She has worked at her game. She started working on her three-point shot when she was a junior in college.”

The Sun are now off to Minneapolis where they will challenge the Maya Moore-less Minnesota Lynx on Friday night. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. ET and the game will be televised on NESN+ and streamed on League Pass. The Sun will then hop in a plane and fly back home to host the Sue Bird-less and Breanna Stewart-less Seattle Storm. Tip-off at the Mohegan Sun Arena is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised nationally on ABC.

Deuce for J.J.

Jonquel Jones has been named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. J.J. helped the Sun beat the Los Angeles Sparks last Thursday, scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds in an 89-77 victory. She followed that strong performance with a 17-point, 13-rebound, outing with five blocked shots in the Sun’s 65-59 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. Jones’ contributions to the Sun’s fast start have made her an early favorite for the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player award.

Phoenix Mercury star DeWanna Bonner was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

—with staff reports

@ConnecticutSun // #CTSun // #WNBA // @WashMystics // #mystics // @WNBA

Bees Add Big-League Arm

NEW BRITAIN—The New Britain Bees today announced the signing of pitcher Tyler Danish. A seventh-year pro, Danish arrives in New Britain for his first go-round in the Atlantic League. Prior to joining the Bees, Danish spent the 2019 campaign with AAA Tacoma in the Seattle Mariners organization where he appeared in six games, striking out 10 batters in 15.2 innings.

A 24-year-old right-hander, Danish was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 2013 MLB amateur draft. He spent four years with the White Sox organization before making his big-league debut with White Sox in 2016 at the age of 21. Danish went on to spend parts of three seasons in the Majors with the White Sox from 2016-18, appearing in 11 games and posting a 4.85 ERA with 11 strikeouts over the course of 13.0 innings. In 150 career minor league appearances—100 of them starts—Tyler has recorded 27 wins with a 4.36 ERA and 423 strikeouts in 632.0 innings pitched.

“With the addition of Tyler, this gives our pitching staff another established arm,” says Bees General Manager Brad Smith. “He’s a versatile pitcher, having both worked as a starter and reliever during his career.”

The Bees are Connecticut’s representatives in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, and play their home games at New Britain Stadium. For information on tickets packages, group outings and sponsorships call 860-826-BEES (2337) or visit NBBees.com.

—Staff Reports

#BEESBALL // @NewBritainBees // @AtlanticLg

Top Four Amateurs Receive Exemptions Into Travelers Championship

The top four players in the most recent World Amateur Golf Ranking,
No. 1 Viktor Hovland, No. 2 Justin Suh, No. 3 Collin Morikawa and
No. 4 Matthew Wolff, have accepted exemptions to play in the
2009 Travelers Championship.

CROMWELL–The Travelers Championship announced on Thursday that the top four players in the recent World Amateur Golf Ranking – No. 1 Viktor Hovland, No. 2 Justin Suh, No. 3 Collin Morikawa and No. 4 Matthew Wolff – have accepted exemptions to play in this year’s tournament. Hovland and Wolff will make their professional debut at TPC River Highlands, while Suh and Morikawa recently turned professional.

“Giving some of the best young players in golf an opportunity to play in our event has helped us build a relationship with them as they wrap up their amateur careers and turn pro,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “What Viktor, Justin, Collin and Matthew have been able to accomplish at the amateur level is impressive, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they can do as professionals at TPC River Highlands.”

Viktor Hovland is the reigning U.S. Amateur champion who recently won the Ben Hogan Award, which recognizes the top men’s college golfer while also factoring in amateur competitions. Hovland is a native of Oslo, Norway, who just finished his junior season at Oklahoma State University. By winning the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Hovland earned a spot in this year’s Masters, where he tied for 32^nd to secure low amateur honors. He won three individual tournaments this college season and helped the Cowboys win the NCAA team title in 2018.

Justin Suh helped lead the University of Southern California to the NCAA Championship this season, which ended with him being named a first-team All-American for the second straight year. Suh tied for fourth in the individual competition at the NCAA Championship, and picked up two victories as a senior. His stroke average of 69.39 this season was the second-best in school history, only behind the 68.73 Suh recorded during his junior year. Suh made his first start as a professional last week at the Memorial Tournament.

Collin Morikawa was a four-time All-American at the University of California, including a first team selection in each of his final three seasons. Morikawa was named Pac-12 player of the year as a senior, when he won the individual conference tournament title, one of his two victories. He tied for sixth individually with an even-par total at the NCAA Championship, the only tournament in 12 stroke-play starts this season where he didn’t finish under par. Morikawa has qualified for next week’s U.S. Open, and is playing in this week’s RBC Canadian Open as a professional.

Matthew Wolff won the individual title at the NCAA Championship last week for his sixth individual victory of the season, setting a school record at Oklahoma State. Wolff was named the winner of the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year Award, received the Haskins Award as the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the United States and was a first-team All-American for both of his seasons at Oklahoma State. A 20-year-old from Agoura Hills, California, Wolff won four straight full-field college tournaments as a sophomore and finished the season with a 68.59 stroke average.

“This is an impressive group of young players embarking on their professional careers, and we’re thrilled they’ve decided to join us this year at the Travelers Championship,” said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers. “We’ve seen amateurs and new professionals do some amazing things over the years at TPC River Highlands.”

Hovland, Suh, Morikawa and Wolff join a player field that includes Brooks Koepka (No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking), Justin Thomas (No. 6), Francesco Molinari (No. 7), Patrick Cantlay (No. 8), Bryson DeChambeau (No. 9), Tony Finau (No. 14), Paul Casey (No. 15), Jason Day (No. 16), Tommy Fleetwood (No. 18), defending champion Bubba Watson (No. 19), 2012 champion Marc Leishman (No. 21), Louis Oosthuizen (No. 22), Patrick Reed (No. 23) and two-time winner Phil Mickelson (No. 25).

The 2019 Travelers Championship will be held June 17–23 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. For tickets and more information on this year’s tournament, visit www.TravelersChampionship.com.

About the Travelers Championship

The Travelers Championship, held in Cromwell, is one of the premier events on the PGA Tour and part of the FedExCup series. Named by the PGA TOUR in 2017 and 2018 as the recipient of the “Players Choice” award, the Travelers Championship proudly supports the TOUR’s Tradition of Giving Back by donating 100 percent of net proceeds to charities. Travelers, a leading provider of property and casualty insurance for auto, home and business, is the Official Property Casualty Insurance Provider of the PGA TOUR. The company became the tournament’s title sponsor in 2007. Travelers has been doing business in the Hartford community for more than 160 years and has been a corporate sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952. Complete details are available at www.TravelersChampionship.com.

—Staff Reports

@TravelersChamp // @PGATOUR // @PGATOURLIVE

Sun Hold On, Spank Sparks for Second Time in Week

By Bob Phillips

Jonquel Jones hauls down a rebound last night in the Connecticut
Sun's 89-77 win over the LA Sparks last night in Uncasville.

UNCASVILLE—Chiney Ogwumike’s return to Connecticut turned out to be not what she had hoped it would be. Although the Ogwumike sisters teamed up for 40 points (Nneka with 21, Chiney with 19), the Connecticut Sun defeated the Los Angeles Sparks, 89-77, before 5,496 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Thursday night. All five Connecticut starters scored in double digits.

The Sun raced out to an early lead and held a 12-point advantage, 23-11, at the first turn. By halftime, the Sparks were only able to nibble into the Connecticut lead by a point as the Sun led 43-32 at intermission. Courtney Williams led89-77 the way with 12 points in the first 20 minutes.

The Sun lead grew to 21 points with 3:33 left in the third period, but the Sparks came charging back, cutting the lead to just four, 81-77, with 1:16 remaining in regulation. But the Sun defense kicked in and shut down the Sparks the rest of the way. Connecticut ended the game on an 8-0 run to slam the door shut on their West Coast visitors.

All five Connecticut starters scored in double digits. Jonquel Jones (J.J.) led the Sun with 18 points, while Alyssa Thomas put up a double-double with an 11-point, 12-rebound effort, and added six assists for good measure. Jasmine Thomas chipped in with 17 points and was masterful on defense. The 5-9 point guard picked the Sparks’ pocket six times. Williams finished with 15 points, and Shekinna Stricklen finished with 10 to conclude the Connecticut double-digit parade. J.J. also blocked five Los Angeles shots.

J.J. gave Connecticut a 21-point lead with 3:22 left in the third quarter, but Los Angeles pulled within 81-77 after Nneka Ogwumike secured a loose ball under the basket and put it in. She stole it at the other end but after the Sparks threw it out of bounds, Thomas scored in the paint with 34.8 seconds left to stake Connecticut to a six-point lead.

As usual, the Ogwumike sisters led the way for LA with Nneka scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 boards, and Chiney chipping in with 19. Chiney was lights out from the floor, with nine of her 11 shots dropping through the net (81.8 percent shooting). Marina Mabrey added 14 for the Sparks, who fell to 2-2.

Chiney Ogwumike only missed two shots in her first game as an opponent at Mohegan Sun Arena after spending three seasons with the Sun. Chelsea Gray, coming off a career-best 29 points on Tuesday, scored four points with six assists.

With the win, the Sun improved to 4-1, tied with Minnesota for the best record in the WNBA, and avenged their only loss thus far this season, a 77-70 defeat to the Sparks in LA last week.

“Any chance you get to play a team again, especially very recently, it allows you to correct a lot of things that you could do better,” said Jonquel Jones, who, for a change, did not get a double-double. “Personally, we really wanted to get a win.”

While the Sparks are led by the Ogwumike sisters, the third cog in the LA offense is point guard Chelsea Gray. Last week, she scored 16 points, dished out four assists and grabbed four rebounds in the Sparks’ victory over the Sun, and followed that up with a career-best 29 points against the New York Liberty at Westchester County Center. Last night, however, she was limited to four points and one rebound. And while she did have six assists, they were more than offset by eight turnovers.

"Jasmine [Thomas] and everyone really did a good job of making sure we had eyes on her and limited the way she scored on us last time," said J.J.

Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller was lavish in his praise for his team.

"They were tremendously competitive and worked so hard tonight,” said Miller after the game. “We weren't perfect tonight. We made some mistakes. Certainly 17 turnovers is high for us, but they are working so hard right now. That starting group, this is their fourth year together. They are finding ways to win with their defense and that has not been the case for the past three years.”

That defense instills confidence in both the coach and his players.

“There was a challenge to see how we were going to respond to Chelsea Gray tonight and we held her to one bucket and eight turnovers,” continued Miller. “That is team effort, but Jas [Jasmine Thomas] gets that assignment a lot but you can see tonight why. She is an All-Defensive Team performer.”

Next up for the Sun is a trip to Atlanta to take on Jessica Breland and the 1-3 Dream. Tip-off is at 3 p.m., and the game will be streamed on WNBA League Pass and televised on WCCT/CW20. It is one of three games that have been added to the CW20 schedule this season. The others are Sun., Aug. 4, vs. the NY Liberty, and the final game of the regular season vs. the Indiana Fever on Sept. 8 at 4.pm.

The Sun return home on Tuesday to entertain the Washington Mystics. Tip-off at the Mohegan Sun Arena will be at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office or via Ticketmaster by clicking HERE.

—with staff reports

@ConnecticutSun // #CTSun // #WNBA // @LA_Sparks // @losangelessparks // @WNBA // #LASparks