Behind Collier, Minnesota dominates Sun to take lead in series

Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier (24, right) scored a game-high 26 points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds in Friday night’s win over Connecticut in game three of the WNBA semifinal series.

UNCASVILLE, Oct. 4, 2024 – Seldom do you hear the Connecticut Sun criticize their effort of their teammates. But it’s not often that the Sun lay an egg in the playoffs.

Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, who had nine points in a game two victory, got back on track with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Lynx to a 90-81 victory over Connecticut in game three of this WNBA semifinal on Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

With a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, the Lynx are one win away from returning to the WNBA championship series for the first time since 2017 while the Sun need to win Sunday’s game four in Uncasville to remain alive.

Collier, who averaged 40 points a game in Minnesota’s two-game sweep of Phoenix in the first round, returned to form offensively. But she also got help from former Sun guard Courtney Williams who had 16 points, including several slashing drives to the basket, Bridget Carleton with 12 points and Kayla McBride with 13 points.

The Sun never got any closer than seven points in the second half. On the few occasions they would cut the lead, the Lynx would answer with a big basket. On many occasions, it was a field goal from an open player.

“We got outplayed. We got out executed and out coached,” Connecticut coach Stephanie White said.

Thomas didn’t name any names but was critical of the team’s effort.

“We didn’t come to compete,” she said. “You have to look in the mirror at this point. No one will hand you anything. If we’re not going to come out and compete this is what happens.”

Brionna Jones had her best game of the playoffs with a team-high 21 points with DeWanna Bonner scoring 16 points and Marina Mabrey adding 14. DiJonai Carrington and Thomas each had 13 points but the Sun got just four points from the bench.

And the Sun struggled to shoot the ball from distance, going 3-of-20 from three-point range. Mabrey was 1-of-11 from three-point range.

The Lynx pulled down key defensive rebounds and had nine blocks, including two on one possession late in the second quarter.

“We play our best when we make things difficult (for the opposition),” White said. “We didn’t make things difficult (for Minnesota). They pretty much went where they wanted to.”

The Sun have lost two straight to Minnesota and have struggled to cut into Lynx leads for the past two games.

Connecticut’s Brionna Jones scored a game-high 21 points for the Sun in Friday night’s loss to Minnesota.

“I think we have to realize we didn’t get here by ourselves,” Thomas said. The Sun are playing in the WNBA semifinals for the sixth straight year and are looking for their first WNBA finals berth since 2022.

“We got here as a team moving the ball and picking people apart,” she said. “At this point, yes, we want it (a championship). But we’re not going to get over the hump without using (and relying) on each other. This was a poor display of what Connecticut basketball is about.

“To come out with an aggressive defensive plan and get just three steals is unacceptable,” Thomas said. “We have to go back to the drawing board and play people who are going to come out and be ready to play.”

The game was tied at 10-10 in the first quarter after a Bonner three-point shot. But the Lynx closed out the quarter with a 13-6 run to take a seven-point lead.

The Sun blew too many defensive assignments in the first half allowing the Lynx too many free paths to the basket.

Collier was nearly unstoppable in the paint, sinking seven of her first 10 shots from the field for 16 points after two quarters. She also had five defensive rebounds that helped stymie any second chance baskets for Connecticut.

When the Sun were able to get to the basket, the Lynx had six blocks, including three by Alanna Smith and one by Courtney Williams. The Lynx had two blocks on one offensive possession by Connecticut late in the second quarter that ended with Jones committing her third foul.

It didn’t get much better in the third quarter with Williams getting loose and driving uncontested to the basket to push the lead to 10.

Mabrey got the lead to seven with three-point play but at the other end of the floor, she fouled Carleton with about two seconds left on the shot clock, resulting in three free throws and resumption of a 10-point lead.

Minnesota really put the squeeze on the Sun with a 10-3 run to close out the third quarter to take a 15-point lead with 10 minutes remaining. Williams hit another jumper in the lane along with Hines-Allen. An open Charleton hit another three-pointer to push the lead to 14 points, 66-52.

The Sun cut the Lynx lead, 86-79, to seven on a Bonner drive to the basket and foul shot with 1:20 remaining. But Williams came right down the floor and hit an open jump shot to boost the lead back to nine.

Hayes honored
Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes has been named the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She has earned the honor as the league’s top reserve for the first time. To be eligible for the award, a player had to play more games as a reserve than as a starter.

Hayes received 38 of 67 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Forward Leonie Fiebich of the New York Liberty finished second with 21 votes. Guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough of the Washington Mystics received three votes and guard Marina Mabrey of the Connecticut Sun earned two votes.

In her 12th WNBA season and first with the Aces, Hayes played in 33 of Las Vegas’ 40 regular-season games, coming off the bench a career-high 28 times and starting five games.

Overall, she averaged 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 21.5 minutes per game. Hayes also made 40.2 percent of her three-point shots, ranking 10th in the WNBA in that category, and shot 50.0 percent from the field overall.

Hayes, a former UConn star, played with the Sun a year ago before retiring from the WNBA. She came out of retirement in May to join the Aces.

Minnesota 90, Connecticut 81
At Uncasville
Minnesota (90) Carleton 4-8 3-3 12, Collier 11-19 4-5 26, Alanna Smith 2-2 2-4 7, McBride 5-13 1-1 13, Williams 7-10 2-2 16, Hines-Allen 1-2 0-0 2, Zandalasini 2-3 0-0 5, Hiedeman 1-2 2-2 4, Juhasz 2-2 1-2 5. Totals 35-61 15-19
Connecticut (81) Bonner 4-9 6-7 16, Thomas 5-10 3-5 13, Jones 8-13 5-5 21, Carrington 6-15 1-3 13, Mabrey 6-10 1-1 14, Harris 0-1 0-0 0, Burton 1-4 2-2 4, Nelson-Ododa 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-73 18-23
Minnesota       23  25  20  22 – 90
Connecticut   16  20  18  27  — 81
Three-point goals: Minnesota 5-15 (Carleton 1-4, Collier 0-1, Smith 1-1, McBride 2-6, Zandalasini 1-2, Hiedeman 0-1); Connecticut 3-20 (Bonner 2-4, Jones 0-1, Carrington 0-2, Mabrey 1-11, Burton 0-2). Att. 8,268

WNBA semifinals
(3) Connecticut at (2) Minnesota
Sunday, Sept. 29
Connecticut 73, Minnesota 70
Tuesday, Oct. 1
Minnesota 77, Connecticut 70
Friday, Oct. 4
Minnesota 90, Connecticut 81. Minnesota leads series, 2-1
Sunday, Oct. 6
Minnesota at Connecticut, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 8
Connecticut at Minnesota, TBA, if necessary, ESPN2