Sun go down late vs. Lynx
Home run ends at 13
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller liked the way his team responded as it returned from a winless road trip, but it wasn’t enough.
Jasmine Thomas led the way with 16 points, but committed seven turnovers, and star forward Jonquel Jones was held to a season-low five points on just 2-for-10 shooting, as the Sun weren’t sharp enough late in a 74-71 loss to the Minnesota Lynx yesterday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Sun (9-5), who ran out to a franchise-best 9-1 record to start the season, have lost four games in a row. The latest loss ended their 13-game home winning streak that dated back to July 20, 2018.
“I saw the energy, I saw the competitiveness that I thought we would come back and fight with at home,” Miller said. “We’ve been the best home team in the last year-plus in the league. Our crowd was insane tonight. … I think that willed us, too.
“Our core group of five starters right now, there’s little room for error. We have to have good nights by them.”
Miller thought the pivotal juncture yesterday came in the third quarter. The Sun trailed by one at halftime and held the Lynx (8-6) to 10 points, but couldn’t pull away enough and led by only four heading into the fourth quarter.
Minnesota took advantage and started the fourth on a 10-2 run to take control, and never trailed again. The Sun had chances at the end — Thomas’ game-tying 3-point attempt missed with 19.6 seconds to go, and Courtney Williams hitting a desperation 3 at the buzzer — but 17 turnovers were too much to overcome.
“Both ends of the floor, you feel like you did a lot of good things defensively and a lot of nights, good enough defensively to get that win,” Miller said.
“That was a game that could be played identically the same way, and we just make a couple more plays and we’re sitting here a little bit differently,” he added. “I liked our fight, I liked our competitiveness more than on some of the road trip. I saw togetherness, a competitiveness that we need to play with in order to win.”
Injuries have ravaged the WNBA through the first half of the season, and that includes the Sun. Guard Layshia Clarendon, who Miller called the team’s “sixth starter,” is out with an ankle injury, and Miller noted the team is 1-4 without her. But he said that’s not an excuse, especially after facing a Minnesota team without star Seimone Augustus and a handful of other players.
“I think we’re disappointed that that’s four in a row,” Miller said. “Every game’s a little different, so there’s no common theme. They’re frustrated because they think they’re talented enough to not go through this type of stretch.”