Thursday, May 25, 2023

Sun Win Second Straight Over Mystics

Photo By Bill Harper

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Connecticut Sun stopped the Washington Mystics for the second straight time, putting up an 88-81 victory at Entertainment and Sports Arena in our nation’s capital on Tuesday night.

After the Mystics raced out to an early 14-9 lead five minutes into the contest, the Sun responded with a 12-3 run to close out the period, taking a 21-17 at the first pole. Alyssa Thomas led all scorers with eight points after 10 minutes of play.

The Mystics came back in the second quarter, cutting the Connecticut lead to one, 43-42, at intermission. Thomas led the Sun with six points, one rebound, two assists and one steal in the quarter. Natisha Hiedeman added four points and one steal, while Tiffany Hayes, Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Ty Harris each added three points in the second.

The Sun charged out of the locker room in the third period and upped their advantage to four, 63-59, heading into the fourth. DeWanna Bonner led the Connecticut surge, putting up seven points of her 15 points in the quarter. Connecticut continued to push pace offensively in the fourth stanza, outscoring the Mystics, 25-22, to seal the deal. Brionna Jones, who started slow, ended the contest with eight points, including her first three-point field goal since the 2020 season, to lead the Sun in the fourth.

With the win, Connecticut improved to a perfect 3-0 on the young season while Washington fell to 1-2. The Sun were led by Alyssa Thomas who tallied her fifth-straight double-double, dating back to the 2022 season, with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and also had five assists and two steals. The Mystics were led by Elena Delle Donne who put up a season-high 27 points, grabbed seven boards, dished out four assists and had one blocked shot on her stat line.

Connecticut shot a season-high 47.5% (29-61), while holding Washington to 41.5% (27-65) from the field on the night. The Sun dominated the paint, outscoring the Mystics, 40-26.

SUN SPOTS

*Tiffany Hayes dished out a career-high tying eight assists.

*All five Sun starters finished in double figures for the first time this season.

*The Sun finished with season-highs in points (88), assists (21) and three-point field goals (8).

*DeWanna Bonner moved into 18th all-time in games played in league history, tying Tully Bevilaqua (425).

*With one block in tonight’s game, Brionna Jones moved to No. 13 all-time in blocked shots in Connecticut Sun history, tying Brooke Wyckoff (61).

*Natisha Hiedeman eclipsed 800 career-points in tonight with 13 points (804).

*DeWanna Bonner now has 191 15+ point performances, tying Nneka Ogwumike for 14th most in WNBA history.

—Staff Reports

Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Sun Stop Mystics for Second Straight Win

By Bob Phillips

Photos by Bill Harper

UNCASVILLE—DeWanna Bonner scored 21 points and Alyssa Thomas put up a double-double—14 points and 16 rebounds—to go along with six assists and three steals to help the Connecticut Sun rally from a 12-point deficit to beat the Washington Mystics 80-74 Sunday. Brionna Jones added her own double-double (15 points and 10 boards) for the Sun.

Shakira Austin scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Elena Delle Donne had 19 points and also had 11 boards for the Mystics.

Down by four late in the third period, Tyasha Harris hit a 3-pointer to close out the quarter and pull the Sun within a point. A put-back by Jones early in the fourth stanza gave the Sun their first lead of the game before Rebecca Allen hit a trey to cap a 13-2 Connecticut run to stake the Sun to a 67-60 advantage with just under 6 minutes left in the game, and Connecticut never looked back.

Delle Donne, a two-time WNBA MVP, missed a clean look in the paint that would have made it a one-possession game with 37 seconds left in the contest before fouling out out about 10 seconds later.

Delle Donne, the former UConn nemesis who once committed to play for the Huskies before changing her mind and heading home to become an All-American at Delaware, made a layup to spark a 10-0 run. That spurt gave Washington a 14-3 lead and was capped with a pull-up jumper by Delle Donne midway through the opening period. The Mystics then led for most of the way—until Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and scored in the lane to out the Sun up, 59-58, with eight minutes remaining in regulation.

Referee Kelly Broomfield limped off the court in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury and did not return, leaving just two officials the rest of the game.

White challenged a foul called on Olivia Nelson-Ododa early in the fourth quarter and won, but the foul was instead assessed to Jones, her fourth personal. Jones, who picked up her third foul with 5:32 left in the first half, fouled out for the second time this season with 17 seconds left.

Sun skipper Stefanie White—who last coached in the WNBA with Indiana from 2015-16 and helped the Fever to back-to-back playoff berths including a trip to the 2015 WNBA Finals—replaced Curt Miller as the Sun’s coach in November. Miller, the former head coach and GM for the Sun, has moved cross-country and is now top dog with the Los Angeles Sparks. In addition, four-time All-Star and 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones—who led the Sun to back-to-back Finals appearances and three straight trips to the Eastern Conference Finals—forced a trade in the offseason to the Connecticut’s No. 1 rival, the New York Liberty, giving the Sun roster a virtually complete makeover.

With the win, Connecticut improved to 2-0 on the young season while Washington fell to 1-1. The Sun opened the 2023 season with a 70-61 win over the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday. The Sun and Mystics will go at it again on Tuesday at Entertainment and Sports Arena in our nation’s capital. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on NBC Sports Washington/Monumental Sports in the metro D.C. market and on NECN in New England.

—with staff reports

Posted by at No comments:

Bridgeport Islanders Announce Home Opener, Six Guaranteed Dates for 2023-24 Season

BRIDGEPORT—The Bridgeport Islanders will host their 2023-24 home opener on Saturday, Oct. 21st at Total Mortgage Arena, one of six home dates that have been confirmed by the AHL.

Guaranteed Home Dates:

*Saturday, Oct. 21

*Wednesday, Dec. 27

*Saturday, Jan. 6

*Saturday, Jan. 27

*Sunday, Feb. 17

*Saturday, Mar. 30

Opponents for these six games will be announced later this summer when the complete schedule for AHL’s 88th season is released. While individual game tickets to each of these contests will also be available this summer, Flex Ticket Plans are on sale now.

Flexible Ticket Plans offer hockey fans the freedom to choose any number of seats to any number of games that best suit their preferences. With the option to purchase either a 10-pack or 20-pack of undated ticket vouchers, fans can tailor any experience to fit their schedule, whether it's a thrilling rivalry, a popular theme night, or simply a “must-see” game. As a special offer, fans who lock in their flex plans before Jun. 1 will receive two (2) additional complementary tickets to Opening Night on Saturday, Oct. 21.

Pricing for Flexible Ticket Plans starts at $18 per ticket. For more information call 203-579-5230 to reserve your plan for the 2023-24 season. The Bridgeport Islanders are the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders. Fans are invited to keep up with the latest Islanders news and connect with other fans on Facebook (@AHLIslanders), Twitter (@AHLIslanders) and Instagram (@AHLIslanders).

—Staff Reports

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, April 28, 2023

Sun Pre-Season Update-April 2023

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—As the 2024 WNBA season rapidly approaches, many members of the Connecticut Sun are wrapping up their overseas obligations before heading back to the Nutmeg State for another season of WNBA action. What follows is a rundown of the most recent overseas reports concerning Sun players.

Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and the London Lions defeated the Caledonia Gladiators, 79-60, on Wednesday, April 19. Herbert Harrigan led her team with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and one block in the win.

Natisha Hiedeman and Maccabi Ashdod defeated Elitzur Ramla in Game 3 of the WBL Finals series, 96-82, on Thursday, April 20. Hiedeman finished with 23 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in the victory. On Sunday, April 23, Hiedeman and Maccabi Ashdod picked up an 81-79 win over Elitzur Ramla in Game 4 of the WBL Finals series. Hiedeman tallied seven points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals. The series is now tied 2-2.

Lauren Cox and Valencia took home a 58-56 win over Estudiantes in Game 1 of the Spanish League Quarterfinals series on Thursday, April 20. Cox tallied seven points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. On Sunday, April 23, Cox and Valencia defeated Estudiantes in Game 2 of the Spanish League Quarterfinals series, 77-35. Cox notched 13 points, five rebounds and one block in the win. Valencia won the series by a combined score of 135-91 and will move onto the semifinals.

Brionna Jones, Alyssa Thomas and USK Prague defeated Zabiny Brno in Game 1 of the Czech League Finals, 89-73 on Friday, April 21. Thomas led the team with 25 points, 18 rebounds and seven assists. Jones added 19 points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block in the victory. On Sunday, April 23, Jones, Thomas and USK Prague picked up a 94-71 win over Zabiny Brno in Game 2 of the Czech League Finals. Jones tallied a double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks. Thomas filled the stat sheet with 15 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and two steals. USK Prague leads the best-of-three series, 2-0.

Former Uconn star Tiffany Hayes and CBK Mersin fell to Fenerbahce, 75-68, in Game 1 of the Turkish League Finals on Saturday, April 22. Hayes finished with 19 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal in the effort. On Sunday, April 23, Hayes and CBK Mersin dropped Game 2 of the Turkish League Finals to Fenerbahce, 83-76. Hayes tallied 14 points, two rebounds and three assists in the outing.

Connecticut Sun players are back in overseas action this week beginning with Hayes and CBK Mersin taking on Fenerbahce at 12:00 p.m. ET on April 25. Jones, Thomas and USK Prague play Zabiny Brno at 2:15 p.m. ET on April 26. Hiedeman and Maccabi Ashdod face off against Elitzur Ramla at 10:45 a.m. ET; and Cox and Valencia take on Zaragoza at 2:00 p.m. ET on April 27. To close out the week, Cox and Valencia play Zaragoza at 1:15 p.m. ET on April 30.

For more information on dates and times of all Connecticut Sun off-season play, visit: https://sun.wnba.com/sun-off-season-tracker/ .

—with staff reports

Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Aces Trounce Sun, Series Heads to CT

By Bob Phillips

LAS VEGAS— A'ja Wilson led all scorers with 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray poured in 21 points and and Kelsey Plum added 20 to lead the Las Vegas Aces to an 85-21 victory over the Connecticut Sun in Game 2 of the 2022 WNBA Finals played at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday night.

Courtney Williams led the Sun with 18 points, and Jonquel Jones chipped in with her trademark double-double (16 points, 11 boards) for Connecticut. Alyssa Thomas added 13 points and Brionna Jones threw down 12 for the Sun, who now find themselves in an extremely precarious position in their effort to claim their first WNBA title.

The Aces had been 0-6 in the Finals before taking the first two games of the series with Connecticut. Las Vegas, which was swept in the championship in 2008 when the franchise was still in San Antonio and also in 2020, will look to secure the title on Thursday night in Connecticut.

After being held to a season-low 67 points in Game 1, the Aces rediscovered their offense and shot 51.6 percent from the floor (33-for-64) in Game 2. The Sun, meanwhile, shot poorly (42.2 percent) hitting on just 27 of 64 attempts from the field.

Both teams played uptempo early, trading baskets and free throws. The game was tied at 10-10 with 6:29 remaining in the first quarter when the Aces seized control of the contest, going on an 11-4 run to open a seven-point advantage. The Aces, who led by eight points, 23-15, at the first turn, held on to that eight-point advantage and entered the locker room up 45-37 at halftime. Vegas shot 55 percent (10-for-18) in the first period, and played ferocious D in Q1, holding the visitors to 35 percent shooting (7-for-20).

The Aces kept it up in the second thanks primarily to Plum, who scored 11 in Q2

“I thought Kelsey’s drives opened us up,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “I mean, the other day we got good looks again from three. We didn't want to knock them down but you have to believe the worm will turn there eventually. The important thing is we are getting good looks once she gets in there.”

Connecticut was down 14 when Sun coach Curt Miller went with a big lineup, and the Sun responded with a 12-4 run to cut their deficit to six before a Wilson bucket provided the Aces with an eight-point halftime advantage.

“Get to my spots,” said Wilson, who finished the game shooting a scorching 76.9 percent from the field (10-for-13). “My teammates are putting me in a situation where I'm comfortable.”

“It’s going to take every bit of everybody,” added said Gray, who added 21 points. “You can see the stats. It’s the toughness, the little things that will get it done,” said Gray of her team, which now will head East for Game 3. “We’ve been a good road team this year, so we might as well go win on the road.”

Plum rebounded from a poor Game 1 when she scored just six points to pour in 20 in Game 2.

“A'ja cussed me out before the game [and] that's all I needed,” Plum said. “About time I joined the party. They carried us all week. It’s good to hit some shots, but we have one more.”

“We felt like we were playing catch-up all night since we couldn't string together consecutive stops,” Sun head coach Curt Miller said. “Trying to keep this high-powered offense out of rhythm and tonight we struggled to do that.”

Tip-off for Game 3 will be on Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The game will be televised on ESPN. A win by the Aces will given them their first-ever WNBA title. A win by the Sun will cut the Vegas lead to 2-games-to-1 and will advance the series to Game 4. That game, if necessary, will be on Sunday at 4 p.m., also at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Connecticut is 3-0 in elimination games in the playoffs so far this season. .

'”We are taking it one game at a time,” Sun star Jonquel Jones said. “That's all we can do. We are going to go back home, we are going to have our fans behind us, who have been with us all season, and we are going to use that to propel us to a win.”

—with staff reports

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, September 9, 2022

Sun Stop Sky, Advance to Finals vs. Vegas

By Bob Phillips

CHIGAGO—Revenge is sweet. The Connecticut Sun, looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Chicago Sky in last year’s WNBA playoffs, did so in fine style with a 72-63 win to clinch a spot in the Finals. The Sun, who finished one game behind the Sky in the regular season standings, were 0-4 vs. the Sky during the regular season, and were down by 11 points in the fourth quarter last night.

“We come up here every year and Chicago kicks our [butt],” Sun forward DeWanna Bonner the No. 5 pick in the 2009 WNBA draft by the Phoenix Mercury said. Bonner earned two WNBA championships during her time in Phoenix.

The Sun raced out to an early lead and held a 24-16 advantage at the first turn. But the Sky total reversed that in the second period and the teams were tied at 40-40 entering the locker room at halftime.

Then, in the third quarter, things took a significantly bad turn for the Sun, who scored only eight points in the frame and trailed 58-48 entering the fourth quarter. A 10-point deficit to the No. 2 seed in the tournament on the opponent’s court is not the greatest position to be in—unless you play defense like the Connecticut Sun. Connecticut’s defense cranked in up in the fourth quarter, holding Chicago to five points while the Sun offense scored 24, resulting in a nine-point Sun victory.

“You have to believe,” said Connecticut star Janquel Jones, last season’s MVP, about her team’s approach after being held to eight points in the third quarter. “We’re going to play our style of basketball. Just the resilience of this team to come out here and play good basketball and be tough.”

“When adversity hits, sometimes we fold,” added Natisha Hiedeman. “Not no more. We're not folding no more. As you all saw[after] the third quarter, we picked up right back up once again. Now we're going to the championship. Job not done yet.”

JJ put up her trademark double-double with 15 points and 10 boards in just over 31 minutes played. Indeed, the Sun ended th contest on an 18-0 run, the longest scoring run to finish a playoff game in WNBA history. All five Connecticut starters scored in double digits including 15 from DeWanna Bonner, 14 from Natisha Heideman, and 12 points apiece from Alyssa Thomas and Courtney Williams.

Chicago’s Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 22 points, while Emma Meesseman added 14 points and Courtney Vanderslooth put in 12 for the Sky. One of the keys to the Sun’s victory was their ability to hold Chicago center Candace Parker to seven points on 28.6 percent shooting in 33 and a half minutes of play.

“It’s one of the biggest disappointments I’ve had professionally,” Sky head coach James Wade said. “It’s hard to put into words. This is going to hurt for a long time.” Chicago was attempting to become the first team to repeat as WNBA champions since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02.

The Sun now head to Las Vegas where they will challenge the Aces, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, in the WNBA Finals. The best-three-of-five series begins on Sunday, and tip-off for Game One will be at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ABC.

For the Finals, Games 1 and 2 will be played in Vegas, with games 3 and 4 (if necessary) in Connecticut. If a fifth game is necessary, it will be played in Vegas.

“There will be a new champion in this league,” Sun coach Curt Miller said. “There will be a first-time franchise champion. There will be a new coach, once again, that will be a first-time champion.”

—With Staff Reports

Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Bees Win on Walk-Off Home Run

By Drew Mals (@MalsDrew)

NEW BRITAIN—The New Britain Bees defeated the Pittsfield Suns, 6-5, courtesy of a Tyler Pettorini (Ohio State) walk-off home run in a Futures Collegiate Baseball League game at New Britain Stadium Wednesday night. Pittsfield got out to an early 1-0 lead when Rob Taylor (New Haven) hit a sac-fly to right field that scored Bo Bramer (Fordham).

New Britain knotted things up in the second when Elliot Good (Central Connecticut State) hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Tyler Pettorini (Ohio State). The Bees took a 2-1 lead in the third on a base hit into left field from Jason Claiborn (Eastern Connecticut State) that drove in Jeff Nicol (Central Connecticut State).

Pettorini drove in his 21st run of the campaign when he knocked in Claiborn (Eastern) in the sixth to make it 3-1, New Britain.

The Bees had control most of the game until the eighth when Pittsfield was able to put up three runs when Pittsfield’s Matt Ryan (University of Maryland Baltimore County) hit a single into right field that scored Brennan Hyde (Nichols), Anton Lazits and Taylor (New Haven) giving the Suns a 4-3 lead. Taylor scored on an overthrow from Mark Coley (Rhode Island).

Coley redeemed himself when he hit a game-tying home run that even the game up at 4-4. The Bees took the lead when Good drove in Colton Shaw (Yale) on a sacrifice fly to right field giving the Bees a 5-4 lead heading into the ninth.

The game kept going back and forth in the late innings as Mike Marella (Fairfield) surrendered the game tying run to Pittsfield as Bramer knocked in Jack Ryan (UMBC).

The Bees were held scoreless in the ninth sending the game to extra innings. Marella was able to make quick work of the Suns, sitting them down one-two-three. Then, in the bottom of the 10th, it took just one batter for New Britain to finish of the game off as Pettorini absolutely crushed a walk-off homer into the night as Bees came out on top after some late inning fireworks.

The Bees are back in action Thursday night at home taking on the Norwich Sea Unicorns for the last matchup between the two Connecticut FCBL teams. It’s Thirsty Thursday presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon at New Britain Stadium with $2 Pabst Blue Ribbons available to fans 21 and older.

The Futures League is a summer circuit consisting of collegiate baseball players—primarily from area colleges and universities. Established in 2011, the Futures League is modeled after the Cape Cod League offering a friendly, fan-friendly environment mirroring the style of a minor league season, with games played from late May through August. The FCBL has garnered the reputation of being one of the most talented and competitive amateur baseball leagues in the country over its first decade of play with more than 150 of its players having been drafted by MLB organizations.

WP—Marella LP—Lazitz

—With Staff Reports

Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)