This one was a nail-biter.
After some back-and-forth basketball, the Connecticut Sun pulled out a 70-65 victory over the New York Liberty on Tuesday at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Despite a slow start, DeWanna Bonner (27 points, 12 rebounds) managed to record a double-double by the end of the night. Alyssa Thomas (15 points) and Natisha Hiedeman (10 points) also scored double figures.
The Sun didn’t have captain Jasmine Thomas (Plantar fasciitis) while Brionna Jones returned to the starting lineup after missing time with an ankle injury. The latter scored six points with three assists in her return.
The Sun improved to 8-9 while the Liberty fell to 2-14. And with Connecticut still in playoff contention, this was a much-needed victory.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
PG: Briann January
SG: Kaila Charles
PF: Alyssa Thomas
SF: DeWanna Bonner
C: Brionna Jones
SUN SHINE EARLY
Both teams struggled to score early and were tied at just six points apiece midway through the quarter. But the Sun found a 10-point edge late in the quarter thanks to a solid effort from its starters.
Despite a few flaws, Connecticut still managed to shoot 47 percent from the field and led 18-8 after 10 minutes. The Sun did turn the ball over four times, however.
The Liberty, on the other hand, sank just two of their 14 shots, though they were 3-for-3 from the charity stripe. They had six turnovers in the quarter.
NEW YORK STRIKES BACK
Things suddenly swung in New York’s favor in the second.
The Liberty chipped away at the Sun’s double-figure led right away with help from Kia Nurse, Kylie Shook and Jazmine Jones off the bench. They even managed to take the lead midway through the quarter, though they struggled to hang on to it down the stretch.
The Liberty outscored the Sun 24-11 in the second as players like DeWanna Bonner (16.7 percent shooting) and Brionna Jones (25 percent shooting) struggled to find the bottom of the net in the first half. Connecticut went 3-for-17 from the field in the second as a team.
New York owned a 32-29 lead at halftime. Nurse led all scorers with 12 points through two.
SEE-SAW
The third quarter is when things got a bit choppy.
The Sun regained the lead early in the third on a 10-2 run. Bonner finally found her rhythm, trying Nurse with a game-high 16 points through three frames.
Despite owning an eight-point advantage with 3:07 on the clock, the Sun allowed the Liberty to make it a two-point game not long after.
Connecticut bounced back quickly to make it a seven-point game, but Jones stunned with a buzzer-beater from beyond half court to make it 52-48 entering the final frame.
A FIRE FINISH
This one was a battle to the finish, but the Sun ultimately wound up on top.
Things stayed fairly even through the first half of the quarter. Bonner earned herself a double-double early on, giving Connecticut a much-needed boost in the fourth.
The Sun had an eight-point lead with 2:18 left, but the Liberty quickly made it a four-point game thanks to some plays in transition by Jones and Shook. Jones, though, missed two straight free throws with a minute left.
Bonner came up with a slick jumper to make it a six-point game with 16.7 on the clock, before she gingerly made her way back to the bench. Jones redeemed herself with two made free throws and a massive layup in the final seconds, but it wasn’t enough to claim the win.
PLAY OF THE GAME
So nice, you have to see it twice.
UP NEXT
Connecticut returns to action Thursday against the mighty Las Vegas Aces, with tip-off slated for 8 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images
