Don’t look now, but the Connecticut Sun are undefeated through the first five games of the 2021 WNBA season.
We aren’t surprised though. Not in the slightest.
Entering the year, we outlined a few reasons why Connecticut could be championship contenders, and thus far, they’ve proved to be of that caliber.
Two years ago the Sun made it to the finals, and added two-time WNBA champion and three-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner to their roster the following season to put them over the top.
Perhaps that would have happened if not for the COVID-19 pandemic, when teams packed up to play in Florida in a bubble and gave players the option to sit the season out if they had health concerns.
Even with their best player choosing that route, as Jonquel Jones opted out, the Sun made it to the semifinals.
Having her back this season has been the biggest difference in parlaying Connecticut’s run in 2020 to a 5-0 start, especially playing alongside Bonner, an 11-year veteran, for the first time.
Jones is averaging an 18.4-point, 10.8-rebounds on 55.4 percent shooting from the field and 50.0 percent shooting from deep. Bonner, meanwhile, is averaging 19.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
At 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4, respectively, their size and length has been difficult for opposing teams to match up with. Especially when you also have Brionna Jones in the lineup as well, standing 6-foot-3. You can bet that’s translated on defense, too.
The Sun have held opponents to an average of 68.8 points per game and 26.6 percent shooting from deep, leading the league in both defensive categories.
And all the while, four players are averaging double-digit scoring, and their 39.8 percent shooting from 3-point range is second in the WNBA. A true 3-and-D team, indeed, and thus far, other teams haven’t been able to hang. Even with Alyssa Thomas likely out all season after tearing her Achilles in January playing overseas.
Plenty of players have stepped up in that regard, as they had to last year with Jones out, but Natisha Hiedeman’s impact is noteworthy this season.
The 24-year-old guard, in her third year in the league, really has come in to her own to take advantage of increased opportunity. Her 12.4 points per game more than double her averages from years past, and her scrappy defense has led to 2.0 steals per game.
It’s scary to think about what this team would look like with a 6-foot-2, high-motor player like Alyssa Thomas in the starting rotation night in and night out. Hopefully next season we get to actually see the full group all at once.
One of their biggest tests of the season comes Tuesday as Connecticut hits the road for Seattle to face the reigning champion Storm with its head coach suspended one game.
As things stand, Connecticut is the best team in the WNBA. We’ll see if that remains true after the game.
