The Connecticut Sun were not about to let Chicago sweep their season series, defeating the Sky 74-58 Sunday after dropping their last two games.
It was their fifth game without MVP candidate Jonquel Jones, who is overseas competing in the EuroBasket, but the Sun have strung together two straight wins, creating more separation between them and the second-place Sky in the Eastern Conference Standings.
Brionna Jones (21 points, nine rebounds, two steals), DeWanna Bonner (23 points, seven rebounds) and Jasmine Thomas (18 points, three assists, three steals) all reached double-digit scoring, having their way in the paint all game.
Connecticut shot 42.2 percent from the field, while holding Chicago to 33.3 percent and 20.8 percent from deep. It also ends its time without Jonquel Jones on a high note. As long as she passes the WNBA’s COVID-19 protocols, she’ll return to the lineup.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE
F: DeWanna Bonner
F: Briann January
G: Jasmine Thomas
G: Kaila Charles
C: Brionna Jones
GOING HARD IN THE PAINT
Connecticut absolutely went in on Chicago in the first, getting out to an early 21-13 lead in the quarter.
Brionna Jones and Bonner took advantage of the Sky’s lack of interior defense, scoring 10 and six points respectively.
Jones almost had a double-double in the frame, with six rebounds (three offensive) and most of the Sun’s points coming in the paint. Not to mention, she was 5-for-8 shooting and had two steals and a block.
COLLAPSE ON THE CLOSE-OUT
The Sun’s stingy defense in the second helped them get out to as much as a 17-point lead with Jones, Bonner and Jasmine Thomas helping on offense.
Bonner hit a 3-pointer to to take a 36-19 lead with just under 3 minutes left, but from there the defense broke down.
Chicago went on to score 11 unanswered points, cutting its deficit to just six points thanks to a buzzer-beating triple from Allie Quigley.
Still, no Sky starter surpassed five points as Quigley led them with seven points off the bench after the first half.
Connecticut entered the break with a 36-30 lead.
TAKING BACK CONTROL
Courtney Vandersloot extended Chicago’s run to 13-unanswered, but a Bonner triple got Connecticut back on track in a big way, sending it out on a 10-0 run.
The Sun outscored the Sky 16-14 in the third with Thomas going off for 18 points, three assists and three steals in the quarter.
Bonner sunk three shots from beyond the arc, including one that gave Connecticut a 20-point lead late in the frame.
At the end of the quarter, Connecticut led Chicago 62-44.
WRAP IT UP
With the game comfortably in hand and Brionna Jones, Bonner and Thomas doing basically all the scoring to that point, coach Curt Miller started to rest his starters early and let the youngsters play.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Jasmine Thomas was everywhere this afternoon.
UP NEXT
Connecticut returns to action Tuesday against the Mystics in Washington. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET.
