Angel Reese Injured On Bench During Chicago Sky vs Connecticut Sun WNBA basketball.
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Sun roll past Chicago for a record 28th win and date with Indiana in playoffs
The season began for the Connecticut Sun with rookie Caitlyn Clark and the Indiana Fever before a sold out Mohegan Sun Arena.
Connecticut set a new franchise record for most wins in a single season (28) with an 87-54 win over the Chicago Sky Thursday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Ty Harris led the way for Connecticut (28-12) with 15 points, four assists and one block.
A Connecticut loss and a win by the Las Vegas Aces could have moved the Sun to the No. 4 seed and a best-of-3 matchup with the Seattle Storm. But the Sun took care of business and got the Fever in the first round.
Game two is Wednesday in Uncasville and game three, if necessary, will be in Indiana on Friday.
Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington (21) of the Connecticut Sun drives to the basket against Chicago’s Rachel Banham (24) in Thursday night’s WNBA game in Uncasville. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
Alyssa Thomas scored 13 points for the Sun, all in the first half. She also had seven assists and one steal. With her seven assists, she set a new single season franchise record for assists (317).
DiJonai Carrington had 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Marina Mabrey finished with 12 points, six assists and two steals while Olivia Nelson-Ododa tied a season-high with 12 points and three blocks. DeWanna Bonner had 11 points in 24 minutes of action.
The Sun limited Chicago (13-27) to just 33.9 percent shooting from the field and swept the season series from the Sky, 4-0.
The Sun closed out the first half with a 9-0 run to take a 46-35 lead at halftime. Harris and Thomas each scored 13 points in the first half. A quick 4-0 to open up the second half swelled the lead to 15 points, 50-35.
The Sun outscored Chicago, 23-6 in the third quarter to take command.
Three Chicago players finished in double-figures, led by Dana Evans who notched 14 points, two assists, one steal and one block in 21 minutes off the bench.
Isabelle Harrison finished with a double-double, tallying 13 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Kaela Davis added 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks of her own.
Chicago came in the game with playoff hopes. But they needed to beat Connecticut and hope that Atlanta and Washington lost to claim the eighth seed.
The Connecticut Sun continued their dominant season with a record-breaking win over the Chicago Sky in WNBA action.
With a franchise-best 28 wins, the Sun are poised for a deep playoff run as they prepare to face the Indiana Fever in the postseason.
Leading the way for Connecticut was Ty Harris, who contributed 15 points, four assists, and one block in the victory. Alyssa Thomas also made her mark with 13 points, seven assists, and a new franchise record of 317 assists in a single season
DiJonai Carrington shined with a double-double, notching 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Marina Mabrey, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and DeWanna Bonner all made key contributions to the team’s success.
Defensively, the Sun held the Chicago Sky to just 33.9 percent shooting from the field and swept the season series 4-0. With a dominant third quarter performance, Connecticut pulled away from Chicago to secure the win and secure their spot in the playoffs.
Despite the loss, the Sky had strong showings from Dana Evans, Isabelle Harrison, and Kaela Davis, who all finished in double figures. However, their playoff hopes were dashed as they fell short against the Sun.
As the Sun gear up for their playoff matchup against the Fever, fans can expect more exciting action and great performances from the top team in the league. Stay tuned for more updates and analysis as the WNBA playoffs heat up.
