Connecticut Sun outshine Seattle Storm, 81-69
Sun sweep Storm in 2023 regular season action
Seattle, WA (August 8, 2023)- Today, the Connecticut Sun (21-7) defeated the Seattle Storm (7-21), 81-69. With the win, the Sun sweep the season series against the Storm, 3-0.
The Sun was led by DeWanna Bonner who finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks on the day.
1Q- Connecticut trailed Seattle, 16-11, heading into the first media timeout of the contest. Rebecca Allen had the Sun’s first nine points, including two made field goals from beyond the arc. Connecticut finished the first quarter on a 10-4 run out of that timeout to take a one-point advantage into the second, 21-20. DiJonai Carrington had five of the Sun’s 10 points on that spurt to close the quarter. Connecticut turned Seattle over seven times in the opening ten minutes.
2Q- Each team notched six points in the first five minutes of the second, with the Sun leading the Storm, 27-26, with 5:38 remaining in the first half. Carrington had four of Connecticut’s six to start the quarter. The Sun rattled off ten unanswered points out of the first media timeout of the second to push their lead up 12, 38-26, with 3:11 to go in the quarter. Connecticut outscored Seattle, 12-8, the rest of the way to take a 16-point lead into the locker room, 50-34. DeWanna Bonner tallied 14 points in the second quarter to lead the Sun in scoring after twenty minutes.
3Q- The Sun opened the second half on a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 23, 57-34, with 6:57 to go in the third and forcing the Storm into a timeout. Alyssa Thomas tallied five of the Sun’s seven points on that run. The Storm responded on a 9-3 run of their own to cut the lead back to 17, 60-43, with 4:42 remaining in the quarter. Seattle got as close as 14, 60-46 with 4:13 to play in the third, but Connecticut finished the quarter on an 8-0 run to take an 18-point lead into the fourth, 68-50. Thomas and Bonner each notched seven points to lead the Sun in third.
4Q- Connecticut outscored Seattle, 9-6, to begin the fourth quarter, taking a 77-56 lead with 5:02 to go in the contest. Tiffany Hayes had five of the Sun’s nine points to open the final quarter. The Storm went to outscore the Sun, 13-4, the rest of the way, but the Sun was able to close out the 81-69 victory.
Seattle was led by Jewell Loyd who tallied 11 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Connecticut held Loyd, the league’s leading scorer, 14 points under her season average entering today’s game (24.9). Sami Whitcomb also had 11 points, along with four rebounds, five assists and one steal.
Connecticut shot 45.7% (32-70) while Seattle shot 41.4% (29-70) from the floor in the game.
Sun Notes:
- Alyssa Thomas finished two assists shy of a triple-double, notching 16 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and one block in the win.
- DiJonai Carrington tallied nine points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 25 minutes off the bench.
- Rebecca Allen finished with 13 points, two rebounds, one assists, one steal and one block in today’s game.
- With two blocks on the day, DeWanna Bonner eclipsed 300 blocks in her career (301). She joins Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker as the only players in WNBA history to have 6,500+ points, 2500+ rebounds, 1000+ assists and 300+ blocks in their careers.
- With four points in the win, Ty Harris now has 600 points in her career.
- Today marked DeWanna Bonner’s 450th game in the WNBA, tying her with Las Vegas Aces’ head coach Becky Hammon for 14th all-time in WNBA history.
- After shooting just 1/16 from three-point range through her last two games, DeWanna Bonner went 4-6 from beyond the arc in today’s win.
- Connecticut shot 46.7% (7-15) from three-point range in the victory. The Sun are now 8-0 on the season when shooting at least 40% from three-point territory.
- DeWanna Bonner has now scored at least 20 points in 13 of the Sun’s games this season. The Sun are 11-2 when Bonner has 20+, including 6-0 on the road.
Team | Score | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | PTS | REB | AST |
CON | 81 | 21 | 29 | 18 | 13 | Bonner- 21 | Thomas- 12 | Thomas- 8 |
SEA | 69 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 19 | Loyd/Whitcomb-11 | Fankam Mendjiadeu- 12 | Whitcomb- 5 |
NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun continue their road trip in Phoenix on Thursday, August 10, taking on the Phoenix Mercury at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT.