The Connecticut Sun cruised their way to a 79-71 win against the Washington Mystics at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night.
The Sun improved to 5-2 on the year, and the Mystics fell to 6-2.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Sun were able to overcome a multitude of setbacks to secure Saturday’s victory. Not only were head coach Curt Miller, assistant coach Brandi Poole and forward Joyner Holmes absent due to the WNBA’s health and safety protocols, but the Sun were playing just their second game without captain Jasmine Thomas after her torn ACL. After adding in their season high 23 turnovers, it’s truly impressive how they were able to hang on for the victory.
Jonquel Jones got into early foul trouble, getting inconsistent playing time because of it. She missed nearly the entire second quarter and entered the fourth quarter with only two points. Luckily for Connecticut, her teammates stepped up with four members of the team scoring in double figures, including the reigning MVP’s backup, Brionna Jones.
A strong surge late in the fourth quarter, and a huge advantage in terms of rebounding (41-19) was just enough to squeak by Washington on a night where Connecticut clearly wasn’t at their best.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Courtney Williams was a one-woman wrecking crew for Connecticut, scoring 14 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out seven assists. She did it all on her way to a +22 point differential.
— DeWanna Bonner took her place in WNBA history on Saturday, becoming a top-15 scorer in the history of the league with her 14 points.
— Brionna Jones was exactly what Connecticut needed off the bench Saturday night. The Sun center played 24 minutes and scored 13 points, grabbed eight rebounds and provided a steal.
WAGER WATCH
DraftKings Sportsbook had the line set at -9.5 in favor of the Sun ahead of Saturday’s game. Things came down to the wire, but Washington barely held on to cover with an eight point loss. At -105 odds a $100 bet would have paid out $195 total.
UP NEXT
The Sun will travel out west to take on the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday. The contest will not count toward the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup standings and will tip off at 9 p.m. ET at Michelob Ultra Arena with full coverage of the game taking place on ESPN.
