Caitlin Clark drives to the basket for two of her game-high 25 points in Wednesday night’s WNBA playoff game in Uncasville.
UNCASVILLE, Conn., Sept. 26, 2024 – DeWanna Bonner and Marina Mabrey hit three-point shots in the final two minutes to help lift the Connecticut Sun into the WNBA semifinals with an 87-81 win over the Indiana Fever Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
The gives the Sun a 2-0 win in the best-of-three series and a date with the Minnesota Lynx in the best-of-5 semifinals that begin Sunday in Minnesota.
The upstart, led by rookie sensation Caitlin Clark with a game-high 25 points, had a 77-75 lead with 2:03 left in regulation but Bonner sank her first three-point shot of the game with 1:51 remaining to give the Sun a one point lead, 78-77.
With 54 seconds left, Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell missed a long shot but she got her own rebound. But before she could get up a second shot, Bonner stole the ball from her and it got in the hands of Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas, who found Mabrey, who drained a huge three-point shot with 45 seconds left and a four-point lead, 81-77.
Mitchell put up a quick shot on Indiana’s next possession and the rebound was pulled down by Olivia Nelson-Ododa. DiJonai Carrington and Bonner hit four foul shots to expand the lead to 85-77.
Thomas led the way for the Sun with 19 points, a game-high 13 assists and five rebounds. She played all 40 minute for the tenth time in her career.
Mabrey, who got the start in place of the injured Ty Harris (ankle), had 17 points and six assists along with two blocks. Bonner had 15 points and a team-leading eight rebounds. Carrington had 10 points along with Veronica Burton with a playoff-career high 10 points and three assists.
Clark led the Fever in scoring with 25 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Kelsey Mitchel and Aliyah Boston had 17 points and 16 points respectively. Boston also grabbed 19 rebounds in the game, becoming the first player in WNBA postseason history to achieve that stat since Rebekkah Brunson on September 24, 2015.
Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas celebrate after Wednesday night’s WNBA win in Uncasville over Indiana.
Carrington honored: Forward DiJonai Carrington was named the league’s Most Improved Player on Wednesday, the league announced.
Carrington received 28 of 67 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby finished in second place with 18 votes, Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton came in third with 15 votes.
The 5-foot-11 Carrington, selected by the Sun with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft, averaged career highs of 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.56 steals this season, up from 8.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.63 steals in 2023.
In addition, she recorded a career-high 25 games with 10 or more points.
Carrington paced all WNBA players in games with at least five steals (three) and ranked ninth in steals per game. Behind her strong defensive play, the Sun led the league in fewest points allowed (73.6 points per game) and defensive rating (94.1). In addition, Connecticut ranked third in steals per game (8.2).
In her fourth WNBA season, Carrington started all 39 games in which she played. She helped Connecticut post a 28-12 record – the most wins in franchise history.
Carrington is the fifth player to win the Kia WNBA Most Improved Player Award with Connecticut, joining Brionna Jones (2021), Jonquel Jones (2017), Kelsey Bone (2015) and Wendy Palmer (co-winner in 2024 with Indiana’s Kelly Miller).
Connecticut 87, Indiana 81
At Uncasville
Indiana (81) Hull 3-9 1-2 8, Fagbenle 4-8 0-0 9, Boston 7-12, 2-2 16, Mitchell 7-18 0-1 17, Clark 10-23 2-2 25, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Dantas 2-5 0-04, Wheeler 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 33-76 7-9 81
Connecticut (87) Bonner 4-14 6-6 15, Thomas 9-17 1-1 19, Jones 3-8 2-2 8, Carrington 3-6 4-4 10, Mabrey 6-18 2-2 17, Nelson-Ododa 2-3 4-4 8, Burton 3-6 3-4 10. Totals 30-72 22-23 87
Three-point goals: Indiana 8-30 (Mitchell 3-9, Clark 3-12, Fagbenie 1-2, Hull 1-5, Dantas 0-2); Connecticut 5-19 (Mabrey 3-10, Burton 1-2, Bonner 1-6, Carrington 0-1). Att: 8.910 (sellout)
WNBA first round
Sunday, Sept. 22
Connecticut 93, Indiana 69
Wednesday, Sept. 25
Connecticut 87, Indiana 81, Connecticut wins series, 2-0
WNBA semifinals
(3) Connecticut vs. (2) Minnesota
Sunday, Sept. 29
Connecticut at Minnesota, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Tuesday, Oct. 1
Connecticut at Minnesota, TBA
Friday, Oct. 4
Minnesota at Connecticut, TBA
Sunday, Oct. 6
Minnesota at Connecticut, if necessary
Tuesday, Oct. 8
Connecticut at Minnesota, if necessary
