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Connecticut Sun defeat Minnesota Lynx in WNBA Playoffs First-Round

Sara Jane Gamelli 3299 September 21, 2023 No Comments

The Connecticut Sun sealed a must win game three victory on the road against the Minnesota Lynx, 90-75. With the loss, the Minnesota Lynx have been eliminated from the playoffs. Connecticut advances to the Semifinals where they will play the New York Liberty.

Written and edited by

Sara Jane Gamelli

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 20: Napheesa Collier #24 of the Minnesota Lynx and Alyssa Thomas #25 of the Connecticut Sun look on during round one game three of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs on September 20, 2023 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas are an elite duo

No Brionna Jones? No problem. Heading into Wednesday's matchup, the Connecticut Sun knew they were possibly facing elimination on a tough road matchup at the Target Center. 14-6 on the road, the Sun faced a Minnesota Lynx team who were under .500 at home and were plagued with injuries. Without Jessica Shepard, Lindsay Allen, and Aerial Powers, Minnesota was able to secure the 82-75 game two victory over the Connecticut Sun.

With the stardom of Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, the Sun overcame Napheesa Colliers 31 points, and defeated the Lynx 90-75. Thomas and Bonner combined for 53 points, 18 assists, 16 rebounds, three blocks, and shot 21-33. The duo made up nearly 60 percent of the team's entire offense. The Connecticut Sun, led by Stephanie White, are in their seventh straight playoff appearance, and will head to their fifth straight semifinals. The Sun lost Jones to a season ending achilles injury early in the season.

In a critical game three, Connecticut was able to capitalize on the rebounds, along with scoring domination in the paint. Alyssa Thomas set the early tone with a push back mid-range shot over rookie Diamond Miller. With eight points in the first quarter, No. 25 tied a career high with 28 points, one steal, 12 assists, and six rebounds. Through three games against the Lynx, Thomas averaged 23 points, 9.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 5.7 rebounds.

Much like we projected, Thomas played an entire 40 minutes of basketball. While getting an early lead was important, Thomas created points off turnovers, which included assists on the outside. Her ability to distribute to her teammates was impeccable, along with her strength offensively down in the post. With a commanding 17-6 lead, DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas showed their chemistry on the court, creating opportunities for each other off the pick and roll. Below is a prime example of Alyssa Thomas strength, taking on three defenders in the paint.

DeWanna Bonner, a fourteen-year WNBA veteran, pulled a 24 foot three-point jumper with zero hesitation over Rachel Banham. Her ability to create her own shot and drain from downtown over Dorka Juhasz certainly made a statement. Similar to Thomas, Bonner finished with 25 points, three blocks, one steal, six assists, and ten rebounds. She shot 50 percent from three and had multiple key blocks. No. 24 became the third player in WNBA history to have 1,000 playoff points 500 rebounds and joins Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker on the all-time list.

Brilliant so far in the postseason, Bonner averaged 22 points, ten rebounds, 4.7 assists, and one block in three games vs. the Lynx. Bonner's athleticism was highlighted all night, as she made fadeaway jumpers, and capitalized on the fast break points off turnovers. The momentum started to shift after Bonner drained an 11-foot jump shot over Bridget Carleton at the Buzzer.

The Connecticut Sun take over early

The Minnesota Lynx had the early tempo in game two, in which they outscored the Connecticut Sun in the first half. With Lynx fans buzzing at the Target Center, it was vital for the Sun to catch an early lead. The Sun had a monster first quarter, tallying 26 points and started on a 20-6 run. By the half, Connecticut outscored Minnesota 49-34, in which they made their first three field goals, and five of their first six shots. With Collier missing her first two shots, and Minnesota missed four straight field goals, from 6:48 to 2:34 in the first quarter. Once Diamond Miller made a driving layup, Minnesota didn't make a field goal until Carleton's three-point shot around the 8-minute mark. From there, the Lynx were held to 30 points through the next two quarters.

Tyasha Harris shines as the ultimate x-factor

Tyasha Harris showed why she can be such an x-factor for this team, after being acquired by the Connecticut Sun this offseason in the Jonquel Jones trade. Struggling in game two, Harris finished with 19 points, one rebound, and one assists off the bench for Connecticut. In a vital role, the guard shot 7-11 from the field, and 4-6 from the three-point line. Through 40 games played, Harris led the WNBA in three-point percentage, which was a career-high (46.4 percent). She was excellent around screens set by Alyssa Thomas and was able to drop in the shots and layups. Her confidence was at an all-time high, as she ripped a long three-point shot over Rachel Banham.

Minnesota struggled offensively

Forward Napheesa Collier had an impressive performance, delivering 31 points on 11-19 field goal shooting. The Lynx starting four combined for only 26 points, in which they finished 43.3 percent from the field. Although the Lynx cut the deficit to one point in the third quarter, they were shutout mainly until the final quarter of the game.

Kayla McBride was a large factor in Minnesota's game two win over Connecticut. In game three, McBride struggled from the field, adding only ten points in 40 minutes. With the season on the line, Minnesota was unable to get the stops defensively, and offensively come up with a plan outside of Collier. After a first-round exit, the Lynx have a promising young team, comprised of Dorka Juhasz and Diamond Miller around Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier.

The Connecticut Sun will face the New York Liberty in the WNBA Playoffs Semifinals. The best of five games, the Liberty will have home court advantage for the first two games. Connecticut will play New York on Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. ET, at the Barclays Center.

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter at BallisLife, and a Sports Content Creator on Twitch and TikTok. She has a focus on the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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