Five Sun players finish in double-figures.
Phoenix, AZ (July 1, 2024)- Tonight, the Connecticut Sun (15-5) defeated the Phoenix Mercury (9-10), 83-72, in Phoenix. The Sun move to 2-0 against the Mercury in 2024. The two teams will face off again in Connecticut on July 14. Connecticut also picks up their first win in Phoenix since June 3, 2022.
Brionna Jones led the Sun in scoring, notching 18 points, along with seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in 27 minutes of action. She was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line and finished a +23 on the night.
DiJonai Carrington added 16 points and eight rebounds, while Ty Harris chipped in 12 points, one rebound and one assist. Alyssa Thomas notched her eighth double-double of the season, recording 10 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks in the win. Veronica Burton rounded out Connecticut’s double-digit scorers, tallying a season-high 11 points, four rebounds and a season-high five assists in 22 minutes off the bench.
Connecticut shot 47.5% (28-59) while holding Phoenix to 43.3% (26/60) in the game. The Sun shot a season-best 95.7% (22/23) from the free throw line. Connecticut entered the game shooting just 75.1% from the line (tied for last in the WNBA).
Brittney Griner and Kahleah Copper each scored 21 points to lead the Mercury in scoring on the evening. Natasha Cloud added her fourth points-assists double-double of 2024 (league best) with 18 points and 10 assists in the effort.
Game Runs:
1Q: Both teams started slow offensively, with the Mercury taking a 6-4 lead over the Sun, with 4:45 to play in the first quarter. Connecticut finished the quarter on a 15-11 push to take a two-point lead, 19-17, into the second. Alyssa Thomas notched four points, three rebounds, two assists and one block through the first ten minutes of action.
2Q: A 10-6 start to the second gave Connecticut a 29-23 lead over Phoenix with 5:39 to play in the first half. The Sun enjoyed a lead as large as 11 in the quarter, 34-23 with 4:31 to play in the half, but the Mercury were able to cut it to seven 42-35 heading into the locker room. DiJonai Carrington led Connecticut with 12 points, while Brionna Jones added 10 points and five rebounds through twenty minutes of action.
3Q: A quick 5-0 start to the second half extended the Sun’s lead to 12, 47-35, and forced the Mercury into a timeout with 8:58 to play in the third. Ty Harris accounted for all five Connecticut points on that spurt. Phoenix responded on a 10-5 run to cut the lead back to seven, 52-45, with 5:22 to play in the third. Connecticut finished the quarter on a 12-8 run to take an eleven-point lead into the fourth, 64-53. Harris notched 12 of the Sun’s 22 points in the third quarter to lead the way.
4Q: The Mercury began the fourth on a 9-3 run to cut the Sun’s lead to five, 67-62, with 7:48 to play in the game. Brittney Griner accounted for seven of Phoenix’s nine points on that stretch. The Mercury continued to connect offensively, cutting the Sun’s lead to three, 70-67, with 6:07 to play in the quarter. Connecticut answered on a 13-3 run, holding Phoenix without a field goal for the final six minutes of the contest, and closing out an 83-72 win.
Notes:
- The Sun held the Mercury to just two points on second chance opportunities and two points on the fast break.
- Connecticut’s bench outscored Phoenix’s bench 20-2.
- The Sun outrebounded the Mercury 37-18, including 12-2 on the offensive glass.
- With one assist in the game, DeWanna Bonner tied Kara Lawson for 12th all-time in Connecticut Sun history. She now has 388 assists in a Sun uniform.
- Brionna Jones surpassed Lindsay Whalen for sole possession of 7th all-time in games played in Connecticut Sun history. She has now played 198 games with Connecticut.
- Both teams struggled from beyond the arc with Connecticut shooting 25% (5/20) and Phoenix shooting 17.6% (3/17).
- The Sun are now 5-1 when five players (or more) score 10+ points.
| Team | Score | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | PTS | REB | AST |
| CON | 83 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 19 | Jones- 18 | Thomas- 12 | Thomas- 6 |
| PHO | 72 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | Copper/Griner- 21 | Copper- 6 | Cloud- 10 |
NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun travel to Minneapolis for an Independence Day matchup with the Minnesota Lynx on July 4 at 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM CT at the Target Center.