The Connecticut Sun have clinched a playoff berth in the WNBA playoffs for the fifth straight year after a battle of the league’s two best teams.
Connecticut defeated the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night 76-62 at Mohegan Sun Arena to officially punch its ticket to the postseason.
It was clear from the get-go why these two teams were tied for the No. 1 spot in the league, but the Sun were able to take sole possession of the top spot in a game that showcased just why they are so dominant.
Briann January led the way with 19 points, while DeWanna Bonner chipped in 18 of her own. Brionna Jones rounded out the double-digit scoring for the Sun with 15 points.
With the win, the Sun xx to 18-6, while the Aces fell to 17-7.
Here’s how it all went down:
STARTING FIVE:
F: Briann January
F: Jasmine Thomas
C: DeWanna Bonner
G: Jonquel Jones
G: Brionna Jones
SUN COME OUT SPICY
It was a one-possession game for much of the first until Las Vegas took an 11-6 lead with 4:56 left in the opening quarter.
Connecticut pulled within three thanks to Jonquel Jones on two separate occasions before Alyssa Thomas made it 13-12 in the final two minutes with a driving layup.
The Sun took a one-point lead on a Briann January layup before Connecticut continued its 8-0 run to go up 17-13. A last-second layup from Thomas gave the Sun a 19-15 lead at the end of one.
Riquna Williams led the Aces and all shooters with seven points. Jonquel Jones paced Connecticut with six points on 3-of-5 shooting, while Brionna Jones chipped in three defensive rebounds.
MORE SPICE FOR THE SUN
The Aces tied things up at 19-19 in the first minute of the second quarter, but the two teams went back-and-forth the length of the court without scoring for nearly the next two minutes until the visitors went up by one on a Kelsey Plum free throw.
But the Sun wouldn’t let the lead last long. After Vegas went up 22-19, Connecticut put together a nice little 7-0 run. The Aces were able to come within one, but it was the Sun up 28-24 in the final five minutes of the half.
Liz Cambage trimmed the Sun’s lead to four on a jump shot with 2:51 left, and the two teams traded buckets, but Las Vegas just could not pull ahead thanks to a huge momentum swing by the Sun that included an and-1 from Brionna Jones.
Brionna Jones drew a foul with 10.9 seconds left that had Cambage heated. She made the and-1 to up Connecticut’s lead 40-32, the same score they took into halftime.
January paced all shooters with 12 points, while Brionna Jones had seven in a quarter that the backcourt really helped pick up the slack after Jonquel Jones and DeWanna Bonner were held scoreless in the second.
EVERYTHING WORKING FOR SUN
The Sun just could not be stopped, and only allowed Las Vegas to score eight points in the first six minutes, helping the Sun to their biggest lead of the night, 50-40, thanks to January staying hot and improving to 6-of-8 shooting.
The Aces did a solid job making sure Jonquel Jones didn’t beat them to the basket, but January remained dominant on the court when one of their best players was unable to score.
That 10-point deficit put Las Vegas in a hole it could not get out of no matter how hard it fought. It seemed the Sun just answered back to keep the lead in tact with two minutes to go in the third.
But the Aces never gave up, fought back and were able to trim it down to a 58-54 game before the quarter came to a close.
January’s 17 points led the way for both teams, with Brionna Jones just behind her with 15.
CLOSE IT OUT
Much like the third, things were just going right for the Sun, and it helped them lock up a playoff berth and bragging rights as the WNBA’s top team.
Bonner, to put it politely, crushed A’ja Wilson on consecutive drives to the basket that forced Bill Laimbeer to remove her with less than four minutes to go.
Jasmine Thomas hit a 3-pointer with 3:25 left to put the Sun up 72-58 and really put the game out of reach for the Aces.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Yup is right.
UP NEXT
The Sun are back in action Thursday when they host the Los Angeles Sparks. Tip from Mohegan Sun Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET.
