Sports: Sun top Liberty, 70-63, at Mohegan Sun Arena
Connecticut heads into the WNBA All-Star break with an ugly win Sun 70 Liberty 63
Mohegan — This has been the year of winning ugly in the WNBA. Scoring is down. Ditto shooting percentages. Heck, the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm won games over the weekend in which they shot worse than their opponent. Like under 29-percent worse. And both still won.
The Connecticut Sun was waist-deep in one of those mucky games against New York Liberty on Wednesday. It was physical. It was very defensive. Both teams shot at times as if they were having to heave medicine balls.
The Sun managed to out-sludge New York, holding it to seven third-quarter points for their fourth straight win, 70-63, at Mohegan Sun Arena.
It is not the kind of game Connecticut wanted to present to the thousands of potential new, young fans that were part of a season-high crowd of 8,249 for Camp Day, but it won.
“We knew going into this game that New York is playing well and that (its) L.A. win (last Saturday) was so physical,” Sun head coach Curt Miller said. “For the last 48 hours, we've talked about nothing but accepting how physical (New York would be) and the physicality of this game. And there were stretches when they got us out of rhythm in the first half with their physicality.
“I challenged their toughness. I challenged if we had the toughness to beat that that team.”
Connecticut heads into this weekend's All-Star break tied with the Las Vegas Aces for first place in the overall standings with identical 13-6 records. The Washington Mystics are a half-game behind (12-6).
Every team wants a top-two finish in the standings as it earns them a double-bye in the playoffs to the best-ofthree semifinals. The first two rounds are single-elimination.
New York is 8-11 after losing four straight to begin the season.
The league's average field goal percentage this season is 41.6, the lowest it's been the last eight seasons. Washington is the only team that's shooting better than last year's league average (44.5).
The Sun shot just 35.5 percent Wednesday, but the Liberty shot worse (33.3).
Connecticut trailed 39-36 at halftime. It outscored the Liberty, 14-7, in the third quarter.
“(I'm) proud that we continue to have unbelievable third quarters defensively,” Miller said. “That was the difference in the game.”
New York missed 13 of 15 shots in the third quarter. The Sun managed to make three more.
“I think we were physical to begin with,” Connecticut's Alyssa Thomas said. “We just weren't making shots.”
Liberty head Katie Smith said, “The third quarter, we told them they (the Sun) were going to ratchet up the pressure and they're going to pound us on the glass, and (we) did not execute and/or handled that pressure.”
Jasmine Thomas had 18 points, seven assists with six rebounds, Jonquel Jones had 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, and Courtney Williams had 13 points and eight rebounds for Connecticut. Alyssa Thomas added 12 rebounds and five assists
Tina Charles had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Liberty and Bria Hartley scored 12.
Jasmine Thomas pulled up for a 20-foot jumper to tie the game at 44 with 3 minutes, 11 seconds left in the third. Reserve Rachel Banham followed with a 3-pointer that put the Sun ahead for good.
Rookie reserve center Kristine Anigwe provided a boost, too. She was fouled twice after grabbing an offensive rebound and made three of her four free throws. The last gave Connecticut a 50-44 lead with 6.5 left in the quarter.
Anigwe scored eight and all four of her rebounds were offensive.
New York got as close as three with less than four minutes in the game when Jones hit a 3-pointer after a timeout, pushing the Sun ahead, 65-59, with 3:35 remaining.
“JJ made a big 3-pointer on a set play out of a timeout,” Miller said. “That was huge. We finally got AT a basket down the lane when we needed one to stem the tide, so I'm really proud that we're going into the AllStar break tied for first place.”
• Alyssa Thomas and Jones were both drafted late by Washington's Elena Delle Donne late Tuesday night to play on her team at the All-Star Game. A'ja Wilson of Las Vegas and Delle Donne earned the right to both captain and choose their teams by being the top two vote-getters . ... Sun Shekinna Stricklen will participate in Friday night's 3-point contest while Jones will take part in the skills challenge. Both will be shown at 7 on ESPN. The All-Star Game is at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas at 3:30 p.m. (Ch. 8). n.griffen@theday.com