Rebecca Allen drops postseason career-high 18 points over former squad.
Brooklyn, NY (September 24, 2023)- Today, the Connecticut Sun (27-13, 1-0) defeated the New York Liberty (32-8, 0-1), 78-63, in Game 1 of the WNBA Semifinals. The Sun pick up the victory after going 0-4 against the Liberty during the 2023 regular season.
The Sun was led by DeWanna Bonner who finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and three blocks in the win.
1Q- Connecticut took a 21-14 lead into the first media timeout of the contest. Rebecca Allen started strong offensively and defensively, tallying eight points, one rebound, two steals and one block through the first six minutes of the first quarter to lead the Sun. The Liberty finished the quarter on a 7-4 run to cut the Sun’s lead to four, 25-21, heading into the second. All five starters scored in the opening quarter with Allen leading the way with eight points.
2Q- New York opened the second quarter on a 12-10 spurt to trim Connecticut’s lead to two, 35-33, with 4:42 to go in the first half. Alyssa Thomas and Ty Harris each had four points to begin the quarter to lead the Sun. The Liberty finished the second on a 7-4 run to take a three-point lead into the locker room over the Sun, 40-37. Allen led Connecticut with 12 points, two rebounds, two steals and one block. Thomas added six points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal. The Sun shot 42.1% (16-38), while the Liberty went 48.4% (15-31) from the floor through twenty minutes of play.
3Q- The Sun began the second half on a 16-2 run, taking a 53-42 lead and forcing the Liberty into a timeout with 5:39 to go in the third. The Liberty responded on a quick 6-0 run to cut the Sun’s lead to five, 53-48, with 4:12 remaining in the quarter. Connecticut closed the quarter on a 12-7 run to push their advantage back up to ten, 65-55, heading into the fourth. DeWanna Bonner led Connecticut with eight points, while Allen, Tiffany Hayes and Natisha Hiedeman each added six points in the third.
4Q- Connecticut opened the fourth on a quick 5-0 run to take a 15-point advantage, 70-55, with 8:36 remaining in the contest. Bonner had all five Sun points on that stretch. The Sun were able to close out the fourth quarter, outscoring the Liberty 13-8 in the final frame to take home the 78-63 win. Bonner notched seven of her 20 points in the fourth quarter to lead Connecticut to victory.
New York was led by Breanna Stewart who finished with 19 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks.
Sun Notes:
- Rebecca Allen finished with a postseason career-high 18 points, along with seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
- Natisha Hiedeman tallied 12 points, two rebounds, four assists and one block.
- Tiffany Hayes notched 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
- Alyssa Thomas finished with eight points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and two steals on the day.
- With 20 points in the game, DeWanna Bonner moved into third all-time in scoring in Connecticut Sun postseason history (394).
- Natisha Hiedeman moved into second all-time in games played in Connecticut Sun postseason history (34).
- With four assists in the win, Natisha Hiedeman moved into fifth all-time in Connecticut Sun postseason history (73).
- Alyssa Thomas moved into ninth all-time in assists in WNBA postseason history with 10 assists in the game (213).
- With six field goals made in the game, DeWanna Bonner moved into fourth all-time in WNBA postseason history (362).
- The Sun won the battle in the paint (34-22) and on the fast break (7-0).
- Connecticut shot 44.9% (31-69) on the day, while holding New York to just 33.8 (23-68).
| Team | Score | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | PTS | REB | AST |
| CON | 78 | 25 | 12 | 28 | 13 | Bonner- 20 | 4 players- 7 | Thomas- 10 |
| NYL | 63 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 8 | Stewart- 19 | Jones- 11 | Vandersloot- 7 |
NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun take on the New York Liberty in Game 2 of the WNBA Semifinals on Tuesday, September 26 at 8:00 PM ET on Barclays Center.