Uncasville, CT (May 23, 2023)- Tonight, the Connecticut Sun (4-0) defeated the Minnesota Lynx (2-1), 83-82, in overtime at Mohegan Sun Arena. The contest saw 14 lead changes, 12 ties, and a 13-point Sun deficit, but Connecticut was able to grind out the win and maintain their undefeated record on the season.
DeWanna Bonner recorded her fourth 20+ point outing of the year, leading the way with 20 points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals. She sank two clutch free-throws to take the one-point lead, 83-82, with 7.4 second remaining in the contest, that ultimately put the Sun up for good.
Brionna Jones finished with a season-high 19 points, along with six rebounds, five assists and three steals in a season-high 27 minutes of action. Alyssa Thomas added a crucial 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in the overtime victory.
Napheesa Collier recorded a season-high 31 points, along with 11 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks for the Lynx. Former Sun guard, Courtney Williams, added 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and one steal for Minnesota.
Game Runs:
1Q: The Lynx began the contest of a 12-4 run, forcing the Sun into a timeout with 5:55 to play in the first quarter. Minnesota continued their push, outscoring Connecticut, 11-10, the rest of the period to take a nine-point lead, 23-14, into the second. The Lynx shot 62.5% (10-16), while the Sun went just 35.7% (5-14) from the field through ten minutes of action.
2Q: The Sun started the second on an 8-0 run to cut the Lynx’s lead to one, 23-22, and forcing Minnesota into a timeout with 7:30 to play in the first half. Brionna Jones accounted for seven of Connecticut’s eight points on that spurt. Connecticut continued to click on both ends of the court, extending their lead to seven, 33-26, with 4:12 to go in the second, cuing another Minnesota timeout. The Lynx were able to close the half on a 9-4 run to cut the Sun’s lead to two, 37-35, heading into the locker room. Connecticut outscored Minnesota, 23-12, in the second quarter.
Jones led the Sun at the break with 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in just nine minutes of action. DeWanna Bonner added nine points, one rebound, two assists and two steals, while Alyssa Thomas notched seven points, two rebounds, one assists, one steal and one block at the half.
3Q: Both teams tallied 11 points to begin the second half, with the Sun maintaining a two-point edge with 2:46 to play in the third. Bonner tallied four, while Thomas added three points on that stretch coming out of the locker room. Minnesota outscored Connecticut, 6-4, the rest of the way, to cut into the lead, 52-51, heading into the fourth. Thomas tallied five points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal to lead the Sun in the third.
4Q: Connecticut extended their lead by as many as six to begin the fourth, 61-55, but Minnesota answered on an 8-2 run to tie the game, 63-63, forcing the Sun into a timeout with 5:34 remaining in the fourth. A back-and-forth end to the quarter, left the Sun and Lynx tied 70-70, with 32.1 seconds remaining in the period. Thomas was able to score off a driving layup to give the Sun a 72-70 lead with 14.2 seconds on the clock. Minnesota called a reset timeout and capitalized off a set piece which ended with a Napheesa Collier lay-in, tying the game once again, 72-72, with 11.6 seconds to go. The Sun called a reset timeout and a jumper from Tiffany Mitchell fell short with 0.7 seconds in the fourth, sending the game to overtime.
OT: The Lynx jumped to a quick 7-2 start in overtime, taking a 79-74 advantage with 1:41 left in the ball game. Connecticut responded on a 5-0 run, courtesy of a Thomas drive to the basket and three-point field goal from Rachel Banham to tie the game 79-79, with 40.8 seconds on the clock. Minnesota’s Collier was fouled on the other end, but went 1-2 at the line, putting the Lynx up one, 81-80. The Sun and Lynx then traded baskets, leaving the Sun down one, 82-81, with 13.6 seconds to go. Bonner drove to the basket and drew a foul on Collier with 7.4 seconds on the clock and went to sink both free throws, putting Connecticut up for good, 83-82. A last second shot by Kayla McBride was no good.
Notables:
- The Sun are now 23-40 all-time in regular season contests that contain at least one overtime period. Their record against the Lynx all-time in overtime during the regular season is now 4-4.
- Alyssa Thomas is now tied with Nykesha Sales for most games started in Connecticut Sun franchise history (274).
- Alyssa Thomas moved into sixth all-time in blocks in franchise history, passing Chiney Ogwumike. She now has 90 blocks in her career.
- The Sun outscored the Lynx in the paint (46-36) and on the fast break (13-9). Minnesota had the advantage on second-chance opportunities (8-4).
- The Sun’s 13-point deficit marks their largest of the 2024 season.
- Connecticut grabbed a season-low three offensive boards.
NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun head to Chicago to take on the Chicago Sky on Saturday, May 25 at 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM CT.