The Connecticut Sun completed an improbably fourth-quarter comeback Thursday night, defeating the Chicago Sky on the road in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals, 72-63, at Wintrust Arena.
The Sun victory will send them to the WNBA Finals to vie for their first WNBA title against the Las Vegas Aces.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Don't call it a comeback. Or do, because that's exactly what it was.
Things looked dire for the Sun as the clock ticked down in the fourth quarter. Then, they didn't. In what seemed to be a split second, Connecticut erased an 11-point deficit to tie the game with 2:30 remaining in the game. The Sun went from allowing the pace of the game to be controlled by the Sky, to completely flipping the script and making every play down the stretch. What sparked that run? A little skirmish between Sun forward DeWanna Bonner and Sky forward Kahleah Copper.
Copper fouled Bonner on a layup in the paint, drawing a loud reaction from the Sun veteran who earned a trip to the stripe. The younger Copper chirped back and halted play while the referees settled things down. Then, Connecticut went on a 18-0 run and punched their ticket to the WNBA Finals.
In a game where the story revolved around one team having a proven championship pedigree, the opponent showed the mental fortitude of a team who is worthy of a shot at building its own.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- Bonner was Connecticut's best player in this one, scoring 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds while adding five assists, one steal and one block.
-- Candace Parker doesn't necessarily need to be scoring to make her presence felt. The living legend finished with only seven points but filled the stat sheet with nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and four blocks.
-- Jonquel Jones led the way for Connecticut, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
WAGER WATCH
After combining for 184 points in Game 4, the Sky and Sun struggled to score the basketball in Game 5. DraftKings Sportsbook set the over/under at 158.5, but that number was never really in question. Low-scoring quarters by each team in the second half effectively killed this over. A $100 bet on the under with -110 odds would have netted a total payout of $190.91.
UP NEXT
The Sun will move on to face the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals. Game 1 from Michelob Ultra Arena is set for Sunday, with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m. ET. The game can be watched on ABC. The Sky's season is over.
