The Connecticut Sun have not played a more important regular season game than this.
In what was tabbed “the can’t-miss game of the season,” the Sun fought back from a double-digit second-half deficit against the Las Vegas Aces for an 89-85 win Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Connecticut claims the season series and the playoff tiebreaker against the Aces, and move to 14-1 at home this season.
Alyssa Thomas led the charge with a monster second half, finishing with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Courtney Williams, who was the spark plug early, finished with 24. The Aces were paced by Liz Cambage with 18.
The Sun now are 20-8 after the win, while the Aces fell to 19-10.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PG: Jasmine Thomas
SG: Courtney Williams
SF: Shekinna Stricklen
PF: Alyssa Thomas
C: Jonquel Jones
SUN START HOT
Connecticut came out firing, taking an early lead and holding it throughout the opening quarter. However, the Aces were able to close the gap a bit in the closing minutes, with the Sun leading 27-23 after one.
Williams paved the way with 10 points in the quarter after a 4-for-4 start from the floor.
ACES WILD
Jonquel Jones found herself in foul trouble in the second quarter, and Las Vegas took advantage, outscoring the Sun 33-20 to take a 56-47 lead into halftime.
Vegas tied things at the 6:27 mark, with A’ja Wilson driving the lane for a layup to knot things 36-36. It was all part of a 19-5 run for the Aces, who were led by Cambage and Dearica Hamby with 12 points each at the break.
The Sun retired Lindsay Whelan’s No. 13 at halftime.
SUN ON THE RISE
Connecticut came all the way back in the third quarter after trailing by nine at the break to lead 72-70 heading into the final quarter.
The Aces had a double-digit lead with Wilson sinking a layup to make it 64-53 with 6:16 remaining. But a monster quarter from Alyssa Thomas helped eliminate the gap and get the Sun back in charge after outscoring Vegas 25-14 in the quarter. Williams combined to score 21 of the 25 Sun points in the stanza.
Thomas has 23 through three.
DOWN TO THE WIRE
The fourth quarter was everything it built up to be.
Vegas did not go quietly, with Tamera Young tying things up with a nice baseline move to knot it 74-74.
Alyssa Thomas continued to do her thing, however, keeping the Sun in front.
Morgan Tuck gave the Sun a four-point cushion twice inside the final five minutes with a corner three and a sweet backdoor tuck (get it?)
But Vegas stayed right on Connecticut’s tail into the final minute of regulation, with the Sun clinging to an 87-85 lead with 54.8 seconds left.
It Williams, who started the night on fire, icing it, with a mid-range jumper to make it 89-85 with 10.2 seconds left.
PLAY OF THE GAME
“Get that outta here!” — Jonquel Jones, probably.
UP NEXT
The Sun head to the West Coast to take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday. Tip-off at Staples Center is slated for 5 p.m. ET.
