The Connecticut Sun stays alive with a massive 105-76 win over the Las Vegas Aces. Las Vegas started well, leading 12-4 at one point in the first quarter. However, Connecticut turned it around quickly and outscored the Aces 34-19.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Sun was up 77-69 and outscored the Aces 28-7 in the quarter to take home the win. Las Vegas is now up 2-1 in the series.
Sun
Alyssa Thomas was the driving force for Connecticut; she notched the first WNBA Finals triple-double, scoring 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. Thomas did everything she could to ensure the Sun would extend the series, and it worked.
“For me, I approached the game like I approached any other game,” Thomas said. “I think we just wanted it. We’ve been struggling offensively. We haven’t really been hitting shots, and tonight we came out ready. My teammates hit their shots, and I always say without them, none of these triple-doubles are possible.”
Connecticut had six players score in double-figures, Jonquel Jones led the team in scoring with 20 points, and DeWanna Bonner, who struggled the first two games, added 18 points.
“My teammates, thank goodness for my teammates because it was a rough two games for me in Vegas,” Bonner said. “They just told me to stay confident, and that’s what I did. And man, I got to sleep in my own bed. Being at home just feels so much better because we were on the road for like seven or eight days. With the playoffs, I feel like we’ve been on the road a lot, and it was just so good to be home in front of these fans. I can’t shoot like that in front of them again.”
Others who scored in double-figures were Natisha Hiedeman, 14 points, Courtney Williams, 11 points, and Dijonai Carrington added 12 points off the bench.
The Sun did a great job sharing the basketball; they had 32 team assists and shot 55.8% from the field. In addition, they did a good job getting the ball inside. Out of 77 shots attempted, only 15 of them were three-point shots, and Connecticut made eight of them.
Aces
The Aces did not defend well on Thursday night, with 105 points given up. They must do better in game four. “Defense. We just were not locked in on the defensive end, “Wilson said. We were a step slow on the defensive end and that fuels our offense. So we have to be more locked in on the defensive side more than anything when you’re playing against a team like Conn. For us to come out and lack that, it was going to be a long game regardless of who we played.”
Jackie Young led the Aces in scoring with 22 points, and WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson added 19 points. Las Vegas had two other players score in double figures Kelsey Plum with 17, and Chelsea Gray scored 11. However, Gray only took seven shots. In the future, she will need to be more aggressive like Gray was in the first two games.
Game four will be interesting; the Aces will try to close it out again, and the Sun will try to force a winner to take all game five.
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