For the first time in a long time, the Sun did not look good.
Connecticut had a seven-game winning streak snapped Friday with a brutal 89-57 loss to the Minnesota Lynx at the Target Center. This is the second time this season the Lynx has defeated the Sun, although this go-around was much more bitter.
Bria Holmes was the only Sun player to reach double digits, scoring 10 points in the defeat. Lynx center Sylvia Fowles led all scorers with 17 points and 12 rebounds in her double-double performance.
The Sun fell to 16-7 with the loss while the Lynx climbed to 12-11 with the win.
Here’s how it all went down.
STARTING FIVE
PG: Courtney Williams
SG: Jasmine Thomas
SF: Shekinna Stricklen
PF: Alyssa Thomas
C: Jonquel Jones
LYNX START HOT
Minnesota didn’t waste any time taking control.
After trading buckets early with the Sun, the Lynx quickly took a 10-4 lead.
After some pushback from Connecticut, Minnesota extended their lead to eight. And not long after Stricklen netted her first two points of the day, Natasha Hiedeman did the same to cut the Lynx’s lead to four.
The two squads traded two more buckets, but Minnesota managed to extend their lead to seven with two minutes left in the first.
The Lynx went on the prowl, taking a 21-14 lead late in the first. A strong effort by Bria Holmes gave the Sun several chances to score, but Alyssa Thomas failed to sink either of her free throws.
Minnesota ended the quarter with a putback by Daniella Robinson at the buzzer, making it 24-14 through 10 minutes.
MINNESOTA MAINTAINS CONTROL
Things didn’t look much better for the Sun in the second.
In fact, some sloppy play by the Sun on both ends of the court allowed the Lynx to go on a 12-0 run to start the quarter.
The Sun finally would get three back a few seconds later on a Bria Holmes three.
But Minnesota successfully stifled Connecticut’s offense throughout the first half, taking a 26-point lead with less than four minutes left in the half.
Jones made it 45-21 on two key free throws, but the Lynx still managed to take a whopping 28-point lead a minute later.
Jones ability to land free throws helped prevent the Sun from going down even further, but a lack of defense gave the Lynx the momentum they needed to hang on to their double-digit lead. Connecticut even had a last-second chance to trim Minnesota’s lead, but a turnover by Stricklen would squash those hopes.
The Lynx took a 54-25 lead into the second half. Minnesota’s Damiris Dantas led all scorers with 11 points in the first half.
LYNX DOMINATION CONTINUES
The third quarter was much of the same story.
The Sun looked solid early in the quarter, going on a quick 5-2 run in the first two minutes.
Lynx came right back, taking a 35-point lead in the first four minutes of the quarter.
A Jasmine Thomas 3-pointer finally stopped the Sun’s skid.
The Sun’s offense looked promising at first but continued to struggle throughout the third. It did have some luck in the waning moments of the quarter.
Hiedeman cut the Lynx lead to 34 with a beautiful shot from beyond the arc to end the quarter
ALL OVER
The Sun tried to get things going in the last 10 minutes but simply could not find a spark.
Connecticut managed to score the first four points of the fourth, but the Lynx would go on a quick 5-0 run to make it 82-47.
Theresa Plaisance saw her first minutes of the game in the final quarter. The 27-year-old grabbed four points, five rebounds and two steals in her first game with the Sun.
Minnesota remained in the driver’s seat through the final 10 minutes, although Connecticut eventually dropped the Lynx’s lead to 30 with less than two minutes left on the clock.
But the Sun’s 20 turnovers cost the team dearly in the end, falling to the Lynx by a score of 89-57.
PLAY OF THE GAME
They may have been down 34, but this was one monster block from the 5-foot-7 Hiedeman.
UP NEXT
The Sun will try to bounce back from their first loss since mid-July when they take on the Los Vegas Aces at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET.
