Uncasville, CT: The Connecticut Sun (28-12, 0-0) host the Indiana Fever (20-20, 0-0) in Game 1 of the First Round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs on Sunday, September 22 at 3:00 PM ET at Mohegan Sun Arena. The winner of the best of three series will advance to the WNBA Semifinals. Connecticut finished the 2024 regular season 3-1 against Indiana. The game will air on ABC and stream live on the ESPN app.
Storylines:
Last Time Out:
The Connecticut Sun defeated the Chicago Sky, 87-54, in their final regular season game of 2024. With the win, the Sun set a new franchise record for most wins in a single regular season with 28 (previously 27 set in 2023). Connecticut also swept Chicago, 4-0, for the first time since the Sky’s inaugural season in 2006. Ty Harris led the way for Connecticut with 15 points, four assists and one block in 26 minutes of action. Alyssa Thomas notched 13 points, five rebounds, seven assists and one steal. With seven assists on night, she totaled 317 assists this season, setting a new franchise record for most assists in a single season. It also marked her 28th game this season dishing out at least seven assists, which is good for the most in the WNBA this year.
This Season vs. Indiana:
The Sun finished the 2024 regular season against the Indiana Fever, 3-1, winning the first three meetings and dropping the last. The Fever’s 84-80 win over the Sun on August 28 in Indianapolis broke the Sun’s 11-game win streak over the Fever dating back to the 2021 season. The Sun defeated the Fever in their season-opener match up on May 14 in Uncasville, 92-71. Alyssa Thomas notched her 9th regular season triple-double of her career with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in the game. The Sun forced Fever rookie Caitlin Clark into 10 turnovers, the most by any Sun opponent in a single game in franchise history. Connecticut went on to defeat Indiana on May 20, 88-84, on the road and 89-71 on June 10 at home in Uncasville.
Playoffs at a Glance:
Connecticut enters 2024 playoff action coming off their 2023 WNBA Semifinals run a season ago. The Sun defeated the Minnesota Lynx, 2-1, in the first round, but ultimately fell to the New York Liberty, 3-1, in the semifinal series. Alyssa Thomas added to her league leading postseason triple-double record, notching her third career postseason triple-double with 17 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 4 of the WNBA Semifinals.
Fifteen-year league veteran DeWanna Bonner enters the 2024 postseason fourth all-time in scoring (1,079), fourth all-time in rebounding (538), sixth all-time in three-pointers made (94) and third all-time in games played (80) in WNBA postseason history. Logging minutes in at least two postseason contests this year would put Bonner first all-time in postseason games played in league history (tied with Lindsay Whalen).
The Connecticut Sun are 40-41 all-time in postseason play and have not been eliminated earlier than the Semifinals since the 2018 season. The team currently holds the longest active playoff appearance streak in the WNBA (eight consecutive seasons).
Opponent History:
Connecticut is 58-32 all-time against Indiana during regular season action, with an 4-4 record all-time during postseason play. Their first playoff meeting came during the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals, where the Sun swept the Fever, 2-0. Indiana returned the favor in the 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals, winning the series, 2-1. Their last playoff meeting came 12 years ago in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. The Fever won the series, 2-1, ultimately winning the WNBA Finals that season.
The Fever will make their first WNBA postseason appearance since the 2016 season, when current Connecticut Sun Head Coach Stephanie White was the head coach in Indiana. The 2024 WNBA regular season marked the Fever’s first 20-win season since 2015. Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark finished the 2024 regular season leading the WNBA in assist per game (8.4) and total three-pointers made (122). Head Coach Christie Sides is in her second season with Indiana and is 1-7 all-time against the Sun.