CT Sun Wrap: Storm Dominate, Snap Connecticut’s Three-Game Win Streak

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Aug 16, 2020

The Sun simply couldn’t stave off a dominant Storm squad.

Seattle snapped Connecticut’s three-game win streak Sunday afternoon with a 95-72 victory at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. And players on both sides of the ball accomplished some personal milestones.

Natasha Howard saw her best game of the season, earning a double-double on a season-high 12 points and 11 rebounds. Breanna Stewart (19 points), Sami Whitcomb (14 points) and Sue Bird (13 points) also saw scoring success for Seattle.

Briann January, who joined Connecticut via trade in February, notched her first points as a member of the Sun early in the second. DeWanna Bonner, meanwhile, jumped up to 21st overall on the WNBA All-Time scoring list thanks to an impressive 13-point performance.

With the win, the Storm swept the teams’ two-game season series as they improve to an impressive 10-1. The Sun, meanwhile, dip to 4-7.

Here’s how it all went down:

More: Briann January Details Her ‘Rough’ Bout With Coronavirus

STARTING FIVE
PG: Jasmine Thomas
SG: Kaila Charles
PF: Alyssa Thomas
SF: DeWanna Bonner
C: Brionna Jones

SUN LOOK SLUGGISH
The Sun got off to a bit of a slow start, minus Jasmine Thomas, of course.

Connecticut’s captain scored half of the Sun’s first-quarter points, putting up Connecticut’s first eight points on her own. The rest of the team went 0-for-7 down the same stretch.

The Sun went just 5-for-16 (31.5 percent) from the field in the first, though they made up some ground by going 6-for-10 at the free-throw line. So, the Storm capitalized, opening up a healthy advantage on 50 percent shooting.

That said, Connecticut managed to keep it a two-score game, ending the first 10 minutes down just 21-16.

SEATTLE STORMS AHEAD
Connecticut’s struggles continued in the second.

The Sun trimmed the Storm’s lead to three early in the frame on January’s first points (a triple, no less) since joining Connecticut.

But Seattle stormed back, extending their lead to 10 with some help from Howard, Jewell Loyd, and Alysha Clark.

The Sun tried to push back, but the Storm remained steadfast, taking a 42-33 lead into halftime.

STILL STORMY
Not much changed for the Sun or the Storm in the third.

Seattle’s dominance continued, opening up a 15-point lead (its largest of the game) late in the quarter. Bird led the way with eight points in the quarter alone.

Bonner was a small bright spot for the Sun in the third, passing Taj McWilliams-Franklin on the WNBA All-Time scoring list. She now is 21st on the list with 5,022 career points.

The Sun’s shooting improved slightly, shooting 38.1 percent through 30 minutes. They trailed the Storm 69-54 entering the final frame.

Whitcomb twisted the knife with a deep three to end the quarter.

GAME OVER
This one didn’t end pretty for Connecticut.

The Storm outscored the Sun 26-18 in the second half, shooting an impressive 56.9 percent from the field. Stewart, Bird and Whitcomb delivered more daggers throughout the fourth.

The Sun, on the other hand, didn’t see much improvement scoring-wise in the final 10 minutes, ending the night shooting at just 36.4 percent.

And with that, Connecticut’s three-game win streak came to an end. The Storm ultimately topped the Sun 95-72, earning their eighth straight win in the process.

PLAY OF THE GAME
Just wow.

UP NEXT
The Sun will look to get back in the win column when they take on the Indiana Fever on Tuesday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. ET.

More: Despite Slow Start, CT Sun Showing Signs Of Life

Thumbnail photo via Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images
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