Sun find energy and stop Dream
The Connecticut Sun need a break. Every team in the WNBA could use a break in an abbreviated season where teams will play 22 games in under 50 days.
Connecticut ran through the Atlanta Dream on Monday night, 9382, in a game that was rarely that close at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. It allowed the Sun to rest their veteran starters the entire fourth quarter.
Connecticut's plans for Tuesday with a game on Wednesday: a day at the beach.
"You know what, people may call us crazy, but we're going to the damn beach," Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said. "We're going to have fun and we're going to forget about basketball for a day, and then we'll get back to it.
"These guys need a break. (The schedule) is just brutal."
Alyssa Thomas scored a gamehigh 21 points with seven rebounds for the Sun (2-6) while Jasmine Thomas scored 15 with seven assists, DeWanna Bonner had 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks, and Brionna Jones added 11 points, four rebounds and three steals.
The Sun have the league's most compact — and exhausting — schedule. They'll play their 22 games over 47 days and have the most games on one-day rest (18).
"This is brutal," Miller said. "I was the only GM in the league that was in favor of 16 games. The only GM. I was worried about exactly what is happening . ... (Teams are) playing every other day, so were not practicing (much). The injuries, to me, seem off the charts, and we're only a third into (the season). I'm really concerned because this is brutal on these guys and its only going to get worse.
"It's going to be survival. Who's healthy is going to be the favorite going into the playoffs."
The Sun play the Dallas Wings for the second time on Wednesday.
"Twenty-two games increases revenue," Miller said. "It's a revenue decision. Sixteen (games) was discussed. Sixteen was recommended by one of the coaches in this league, but I understand in a year where we're going to lose millions and millions and millions of dollars per franchise that those extra games help revenue. I understand that and I understand how important that is to the league, but this is what I worried about."
The Sun's veteran starters, namely Bonner and the Thomases, have all averaged 30-or-more minutes per-game as they've been relied upon to help carry a team with six new players.
Alyssa Thomas was second in the league in minutes prior to Monday's games (33.9) and Bonner was third (33.9). Bonner and the Thomases all played under 24 minutes Monday as they helped Connecticut lead by double digits for most of the game.
Bonner's 3-pointer gave the Sun a 75-51 lead with 3 minutes, 32 seconds left in the third quarter.
Four of the Connecticut's five starters rested the entire fourth quarter. Rookie Kaila Charles, who got her first start, was the only starter who played the fourth.
"That's kind of has to be the focus going forward," Jasmine Thomas said, "take care of business and start the game strong like we did today, then we can go ahead and get some subs in.
"Having to play every day, it is pretty brutal on your body. Some days you feel more tired than others, and instead of being able to practice in between (games), we're staying off our feet and (watching) a lot of video."
Asked the last time she played such a compacted schedule, Thomas said, "probably AAU basketball."
It was Connecticut's first game against two of its former three-year starters, Shekinna Stricklen and Courtney Williams. Stricklen scored 18 for the Dream (2-6) and Williams had 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Natisha Hiedeman's 3-pointer gave the Sun their largest lead, 88-63, with 8:13 left.
Told that the team was going to the beach Tuesday, Bonner did a little dance and said, "Oh, man, there's a world out there (outside the bubble) we don't even (see) . ... It's going to be a lot of fun."