Alyssa Thomas poured in a game-high 27 points to lead the

Sun over the Las Vegas Aces in a key WNBA matchup

on Friday night.

By Bob Phillips





UNCASVILLE— Alyssa Thomas led all scorers with 27 points—one less than her career best—and teammate Courtney Williams added 24 as the Connecticut Sun took a step toward evading the first-round single-elimination playoff game by gutting out an 89-84 win over the Las Vegas Aces before 7,483 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night. The game was televised in New England on NESN+ and throughout much of North America (sans Mexico) on NBA TV and NBA TV Canada.





The Sun started strong and led by four, 27-23, at the first turn. But the Aces charged back in the second period and trailed by just one point, 47-46, at intermission. Indeed, after trailing by as many as 11 points early, the Aces built an 11-point lead in the third period, but as has become customary with the Sun, Connecticut regrouped and charged back with a 15-0 run late in the period to lead by a 72-70 margin at the third pole.





“We didn’t come out and play in the third quarter like we were supposed to,” a disappointed Las Vegas head coach and Bill Laimbeer explained of his team letting the game slip away. “[The Sun] got the momentum. We came out to play [pick-up] basketball… not to win an important game, and it showed. We still should have won the game,” added the f ormer Detroit Piston bad boy





With the Sun leading 87-85 with 30.2 seconds remaining in regulation, the Aces’ Jackie Young missed a short pull-up jumper. Williams grabbed the rebound and proceeded work clock before nailing a jumper from the free-throw line with 10.2 ticks left on the lock, making it a two-possession game and, for all practical purposes, sealing the deal for the Sun.





“That’s how I’m set up. You know, I want the ball, I know I can score whenever,” said Williams, a diminutive fourth-year point guard out of South Florida. “That’s how I felt. I wanted the ball in my hand. I feel like everybody got a confidence in me and know I can go get a bucket so I put a ball in my hand.”





Williams, originally selected No. 8 overall by Phoenix in the 2016 draft, played marginally with the Mercury. She was traded to the Sun in June of that year and has flourished in Connecticut, generally regarded as the citadel of women’s basketball in the U.S., under Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller’s stewardship.





Liz Cambage led the Aces with 18 points, while former UConn nemesis A’ja Wilson added 17, Dearica Hamby scored 14 off the bench, and Kayla McBride had 10 for Vegas, which fell to 19-10, first place in the Western Conference and third overall in the WNBA.





The Sun, who improved 20-8 (14-1 at home), tied the Washington Mystics, 85-78 losers to the Chicago Sky, for the best record in the league. It’s important to note that Connecticut owns the tiebreaker over both the Mystics and Aces should the Sun end the season tied with either team (or both). The eight teams with the best record, regardless of conference affiliation, reach the postseason in the current WNBA playoff format, with the top two seeds receiving a pass into the semis.





“It’s huge, you know, with positioning and just having the tie-break over people,” said a relieved Thomas after the game. “We are getting to the end [of the regular season] so we knew the importance of this game tonight. We don’t want to fall past the two spot. The one-and-done’s aren't too good to us. It's super important for us to finish in the top two. If we get to the semifinals and have a best of five, we're going to be a problem, so that’s what we're fighting for.”





Thomas is referring to the fact that the while the Sun have received first-round byes the past two seasons, they have lost in the second round—ironically to Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury both years—in the one-and-done second round. And not falling into the three spot is particularly important when you realize that besides Connecticut’s gaudy record, the Sun are below .500 (6-7) when playing away from the cozy confines of the Mohegan Sun Arena.





The win—Connecticut’s fourth consecutive victory and eighth straight at home—marks the third consecutive season that the Sun have won 20 or more games. It’s also the first time in franchise history has put together three straight 20-or-more win seasons, and it’s no coincidence that Curt Miller has been at the Sun’s helm throughout this period of success.

Courtney Williams scored 24 points, in Connecticut's win.







“That’s a big win in an incredible environment,” said Miller, who is positioned well for his first potential WNBA Coach of the Year Award with each win. “We talked at the end of shoot around today that our playoffs essentially start today. It’s gonna feel like a playoff game. The good news is that regardless of what happened tonight we weren’t going to be out of the playoffs. It wasn’t going to be a one and done. We were going to wake up and be fine, so let’s lay it all on the line and play hard. And I can’t be more proud.”





Miller admitted his team dug itself a little bit of a hole in the second period. He said Las Vegas played much like their coach did when he was an active player, pounding the paint and dominating the glass alongside Dennis Rodman and Hartford native Rick Mahorn with the Pistons in the late ‘80s.





“They were crushing us with points in the paint at that one stretch,” continued Miller. “But the combination of Alyssa Thomas, Courtney Williams, willing us at the offensive end and then some intense defensive stops in the second half, a better job of keeping them off the foul line really contributed to a big win. That’s a big win for us.





“So really proud, ” he continued, “ 14-1 at home and that crowd deserves a lot of credit. They give us energy when our tank is on empty and they continue to give us energy. We don’t take it for granted that we get to play in front of an incredible fan base.”





Lindsay Whalen's No. 13 joined Katie

Douglas, Margo Dydek and Nykesha

Sales in the rafters Friday night..

The Sun now hit the sunny skies and fly to Los Angeles where they will take on the Ogwumike sisters and the 17-10 Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday. Tip-off at the Staples Center is at 5 p.m., ET, and the game will be televised on NESN+, NBA TV, Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV Canada. The Aces continue a three game road-trip in Minnesota on Sunday. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on NBA TV, Fox Sports North and TSN.





Salute to Whalen





Former Sun star Lindsay Whalen had her Number 13 added to the rafters alongside those of other former Sun greats Katie Douglas, Margo Dydek and Bloomfield native Nykesha Sales. Whalen helped the Sun reach the WNBA Finals in 2004 and 2005 after being drafted with the No. 4 overall pick by the Sun in 2004. Whalen played in 197 games, scoring 2,290 points and dishing out 964 assists before leaving the Sun and ending her career with her home-state Minnesota Lynx.





This is the third time Whalen has had her number retired. The University of Minnesota, where Whalen starred as a collegian and currently coaches, retired her number in 2005, while the Lynx retired her jersey in June. Rachel Banham, another former Gopher star who is currently laid up with a left ankle injury, wore a Whalen No. 13 Connecticut Sun jersey while on the bench.





Sun Spots :

As impressive as three straight playoff appearances may be, the Sun have a way to go to match their franchise record. Connecticut reached the playoffs six straight seasons between 2003 and 2008 after relocating to the Nutmeg State from Orlando, where they were known as the Miracle, prior to the 2003 season.

With her 24 points last night, Courtney Williams reached the 20-or-more points bar for the third time this season. It was also the 18th time the 5-8 point guard out of USF has scored in double digits.

Alyssa Thomas hauled down 12 rebounds and was the only player on the Sun with a double-double. It was her fifth Double D of the season, and the 18th time she has scored in double digits. Dearica Hamby (14 points, 10 boards) had a Double D for the Aces.

Former UConn star Morgan Tuck finished with seven points for the Sun—all scored in the crucial fourth period.

With her 28 points, Liz Cambage has scored in double-digits in 25 of the Aces 29 games this season.

—with staff reports





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