While the Connecticut Sun split their last two games, veteran guard Courtney Williams made a big impact.
Last Wednesday against the New York Liberty, the Sun suffered an 81-77 loss. The Liberty made a total of 13 threes, which ultimately led them to a tally in the win column. Williams led the Sun in scoring with 16 points. Brionna Jones, DeWanna Bonner and Jonquel Jones each added 12, and Natisha Hiedeman had 11 points.
When the Sun beat the Atlanta Dream, 72-61, on the road Sunday, Williams turned in a big performance. She post her first double-double of the season by tallying a team-high 17 points on 8-for-14 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds. The showing must have been gratifying for Williams, who spent the last two seasons in Atlanta, but the Dream decided not to bring her back in the offseason.
Williams had help, as Alyssa Thomas came close to a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. The Sun’s defense was spot on in the fourth quarter, holding the Dream to just a single field goal in the final seven minutes of the game.
Here are some more notes from this week:
— On Tuesday, Thomas and Brionna Jones were named All-Stars, joining Jonquel Jones, who will start in the exhibition contest.
— The Sun are currently in second place in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference at 13-6, just shy of the 13-5 Chicago Sky. The Sun are set to face the Sky in Chicago on Wednesday, June 29 at 12 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game on NESN.
The Sun and Sky last met on June 10, and the Sky came out on top, 83-79. Emma Meesseman of the Sky had a big game with 26 points. Candace Parker also added 18 points for Chicago. Brionna Jones netted 20, and Bonner finished with 18 points for the Sun.
— The Sun head back to Connecticut to play the Washington Mystics on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN. The last time the two teams faced each other came on June 19, with the Sun falling short in a 71-63 loss. Elena Delle Donne scored 15 points for the Mystics, all of which came in the first half. The Sun, who went into the game averaging 87.9 points per game, were held to their lowest scoring output, shooting just 36.7% from the field.
— Connecticut then goes on the road in a matchup against the Dallas Wings next Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Sun last faced the Wings on May 26, and won 99-68. Bonner led the Sun with 18 points, and Hiedeman was right behind her with 17. Five Sun players finished the night in double figures, and the squad hit 25-of-27 free throws. Catch their next matchup on NESN+.
