Sun know they must be much better second time around against Wings
Mohegan — The Connecticut Sun wouldn't give themselves an out to explain away Tuesday night's 85-77 home loss to the Dallas Wings.
The Sun were asked after the game if they were affected by their recent travel — their flight home from Indianapolis on Sunday was canceled — causing them to arrive home the next day and cancel practice.
“Honestly, it doesn't make that big of a difference,” Connecticut's Jonquel Jones said. “We're all professionals.”
The Sun were asked if finding out earlier in the day that starting point guard Jasmine Thomas suffered a season-ending knee injury might have affected their morale or energy.
“Jas' injury affects us all,” Connecticut head coach Curt Miller said, “but I don't think in the big scheme of our psyche going into the game, it didn't play a big factor.”
The Sun believed they gave one away and have a chance to atone for that loss when they host Dallas again on Thursday (7 p.m., Mohegan Sun Arena, NESN Plus).
In theory, Connecticut (4-2) should've tossed the Wings into a deep hole by halftime after Dallas shot 31.4 percent and scored just 27 points.
The Sun, however, couldn't capitalize and led by only 12, 39-27, at the break.
“We were in great position to win the game and we just didn't do it,” Jones said.
The teams reversed roles in the second half. The Wings (5-2) shot 48.6 percent and blitzed Connecticut 58-38.
“We reminded (the team) that (the Wings) were outplayed for the majority of the game in Washington (on May 13) and all it took was one stretch, one good quarter,” Miller said.
Dallas trailed Washington by 15 points with over five minutes left in the second quarter of that game but still won, 94-86.
“That's how good they can be offensively in short stretches,” Miller continued. “That you can outplay them for a long, long stretch and they're so explosive that they can win a game because they can just explode in stretches.”
One of the biggest ways Connecticut will miss Thomas is her defense. She's been an All-WNBA Defensive team pick five of the last six seasons.
Wings starting guards Marina Mabrey and Arike Ogunbowale combined to shoot 12-of-29 and scored 36 on Tuesday night.
“Jas is a huge loss,” Miller said. “She's one of the premiere defensive guards in the history of the league. Anytime you lose a player like that, you're going to take a step back defensively, but it wasn't just the guards . ... I thought in each and every position we got outplayed (Tuesday).”
Connecticut has been slightly off scoring inside the paint after six games, too. It should be a position of strength with DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones, all of who've been WNBA all-stars.
The Sun lead the league in averaged field attempts from less than five feet from the rim this year (30.8) but haven't been efficient. They're dead last from that range and a good distance behind Saturday's opponent, the Washington Mystics (league-leading 69.4 percent).
“I think it's just focus on locking in and making sure we finish through contact,” Brionna Jones said. “Take pride in finishing.”