Mystics can win WNBA title with victory over Sun in Game 4 tonight
Connecticut realizes it must set the tempo in order to keep title hopes alive tonight
Mohegan — The Connecticut Sun were all smiles and having fun following a Monday afternoon practice, despite being one loss away from losing a shot at their first WNBA championship.
Much like any job, there's no sense in freaking out after a disappointing day at work.
Connecticut may be in a 2-1 hole after Sunday's Game 3 loss to the Washington Mystics in the best-offive WNBA Finals, but it's not cooked.
“We're so used to those one-anddone, season-being-over (playoff games),” Sun forward Alyssa Thomas said. “There's still a lot of basketball to play. We know we still have an opportunity to win one at home and take it to Game 5. We can't hang our heads. We can't put pressure on ourselves. We've just got to come out and do what we've been doing.”
Game 4 is today at Mohegan Sun Arena (8 p.m., ESPN2), and Connecticut must get off to a faster start than it did in Game 3 ... and get physical.
Washington made 6-of-9 3-pointers in the first quarter Sunday to take a 32-17 lead. The Sun got as close as one twice in the third quarter.
“The three-ball, we know how important it is to them,” Connecticut head coach Curt Miller said. “When you have a team step out and make three or four (threes) immediately and you know that's such a big part of the game plan, I could just see a little bit of wind out of our sails.
“Now we never gave up. We grinded back into the game in the second quarter, but, again, the first quarters have played such a big part of this series so far. Every team that has gotten off to a good start has won that game.”
The Mystics made 16 of 27 3-pointers (59.3 percent) to tie a WNBA Finals record for most made 3-pointers.
“We scored 80-plus points, shot nearly 50 percent, and almost got 50 (points) in the paint,” Miller said. “Then you realize we missed four layups alone in the first quarter.
“It was just disappointment that we weren't as good defensively as we need to be against this team. We've been the best at guarding the arc the entire year in the league . ... and we give up 16 in a game.”
Connecticut also talked about needing to be more physical. The Mystics made that an emphasis after Connecticut chewed them up on the glass in Game 2 (41-27). The Sun also had an absurd edge in both offensive rebounds (17-6) and second-chance points (28-10) en route to a road win.
Washington outrebounded Connecticut in Game 3, 34-27. Both teams had seven offensive rebounds, but the Mystics scored more second-chance points (13-9).
“We just need to play harder collectively,” Connecticut's Jasmine Thomas said. “We feel like (Washington) came out more physical with the emphasis being on the boards and we just reacted. We didn't rise to that level of intensity.”
The Sun also need to get their two leading scorers more involved offensively. Jonquel Jones shot 3 of 8 and scored nine points on Sunday. Courtney Williams shot 2 of 9 for six points.
“They were physical (against both),” Miller said. “They didn't schematically change a ton of things. A little bit here-and-there for them, but, more than anything, they were really physical.”