The Connecticut Sun were able to hold off the Los Angeles Sparks down the stretch to earn themselves an 89-77 home win on Thursday night and are currently tied for first place in the league.
It was a bit of redemption as the two teams had met up twice within the last week, with the Sparks taking home 77-70 win in the first meeting last week.
Jonquel Jones led the balanced scoring Sun squad with a team-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field. They finished with all starters scoring in double figures as Jasmine Thomas added 17, to go along with 15 from Courtney Williams. Jones added eight rebounds and tied her career high for blocks with five.
Ain't no party like a JJ block party! pic.twitter.com/MVArK0cj9k
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) June 7, 2019
Los Angeles was led by Nneka Ogwumike who finished with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Chiney Ogwumike added 19 for a combined 40 of the Sparks' 77 total points.
The Sun were excellent on the defensive end of the floor, especially with the assignment of Los Angeles' Chelsea Gray who has elevated her game as of late. The Sun were able to hold Gray to four points and 1-for-6 shooting from the field. They were also dominant on the glass out-rebounding the Sparks 38-25 to go along with 14 offensive rebounds
"I'm excited for the team tonight," said Sun head coach Curt Miller. "They were tremendously competitive and worked so hard tonight. That starting group, this is their fourth year together. They are finding ways to win with their defense and that has been the case for the past three years. As a coach, it gives you a ton of confidence to see how hard they are laying it on the line for each other."
Turnovers plagued the Sparks as they finished the game with 21 total. Credit to the Sun who were able to convert those turnovers into 25 points. Between offensive rebounds and turnovers, the Sun edged the Sparks in the possession category with seven extra possessions. Which, in a matchup like this, can make all the difference in a win or a loss.
The Connecticut Sun advance to 4-1 on the season, which has them tied for first place in the league along with the Minnesota Lynx. The Sun hit the road next to Atlanta where they will take on the Dream this Sunday, June 9th at 3:00 pm EST.
The Los Angeles Sparks now sit at an even 2-2 on the season. They turn around and face the Minnesota Lynx this Saturday, June 8th at 3:30 pm EST.
