Lost in the hoopla over Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut was the fact that the Connecticut Sun remain a viable championship contender.
Their 92-71 rout of Clark’s Indiana Fever on Tuesday night was a reminder that Connecticut is one of the league’s top teams and a formidable foe for anyone on its schedule.
The Sun stay home in Uncasville, Conn., on Friday night for a matchup with the Washington Mystics.
Connecticut leaned on its core players for a successful start. Alyssa Thomas constructed a 13-point, 13-assist, 10-rebound triple-double, while DeWanna Bonner became the fifth-leading scorer in league history with a 20-point outing.
The only WNBA players to score more career points than Bonner are Diana Taurasi, Tina Thompson, Tamika Catchings and Tina Charles.
“It was huge, it was a goal of mine,” Bonner said of the milestone. “To be in this league is hard, to stay in this league is even harder. To be part of that list is amazing.”
The Sun forced 25 turnovers, allowing them to take 16 more shots from the field, and put five players in double figures.
Meanwhile, Washington appeared headed for an opening night win Tuesday when it took a 67-59 lead into the fourth quarter against New York. But the Mystics were outscored 26-13 in the last 10 minutes and lost 85-80.
Four players reached double-figure points for Washington, led by Ariel Atkins’ 20. Brittney Sykes stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Shakira Austin added 13 points and five blocked shots.
It’s a retooling season for the Mystics, who lost long-time staples Elena Delle Donne and Natasha Cloud. However, coach Eric Thibault still likes how the roster looks.
“We have to maximize the talent at our disposal and the people on this roster,” Thibault said. “Everything is there for the taking for people that want to step up and earn it.”
Connecticut won all four regular-season matchups with Washington last year.
–Field Level Media
