The Connecticut Sun advanced to the second-round of the WNBA Playoffs after a 94-81 win over the Chicago Sky in the single-elimination first round. The biggest reason for the win? The play of Alyssa Thomas.
Thomas finished with a monster stat line just shy of a triple-double with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Her efforts were unstoppable, the Sky simply had no answer for it. The best thing about Thomas is her willingness to accept whatever role her team and coaches are asking of her…
Case and point…
The Sun were dominant on the glass out rebounding the Sky 40-21, arguably the single-greatest stat which was the true different maker in the game. Those 19 additional rebounds helped combine for an additional 10 possessions and shot attempts then Chicago. Thomas’ rebounds consisted of 3 defensive and 10 offensive. NO THAT IS NOT A TYPO. 10 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS. An aeronautical number in terms of generation opportunities for your team.
DeWanna Bonner was a force herself finishing with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The key for any Connecticut success lies in their ability to spread the scoring beyond their top two. Kalia Charles stepped up big off the bench with 13, Jasmine Thomas got going a bit early in the second following a scoreless first half finishing with 8 and Brionna Jones added 12. If the Sun can keep this level of production up, they’ve got a chance in these playoffs.
The Connecticut Sun will face the Los Angeles Sparks in the second round of the WNBA playoffs on Thursday, September 17 at 9:00pm ET. Each second round matchup will be aired on ESPN2.
