In the middle of a stretch in which they’re playing four games in seven days, the Connecticut Sun needed a game like Friday night’s 93-68 road rout of the Atlanta Dream.
No starter for the Sun played more than 23 minutes and everyone on the roster scored.
“That feels good for the whole team when everyone contributes, everyone scores,” Connecticut coach Curt Miller said. “You don’t have to extend minutes for the starters.”
Miller will probably have to ask his starting five for their full measure on Sunday afternoon when they host the Las Vegas Aces in Uncasville, Conn. The Sun enter the game with a 16-8 record, while the Aces boast a 17-7 mark.
Since the teams split a two-game series on May 31 and June 2 in Las Vegas, Sunday’s winner takes the season series and earns the tiebreaker advantage at season’s end. That could be vital for seeding purposes in the playoffs.
Four players hit in double figures for Connecticut on Friday night, led by Jonquel Jones with 21 points in just 22 minutes. Nine different players finished with at least one assist as the Sun opened up a 51-33 halftime lead and never looked back.
Five players average in double figures for a balanced Connecticut squad, led by Jones at 15.1. She also averages 9.0 rebounds.
As for the Aces, they’re coming off a record-breaking first half Thursday in a 108-74 rout of New York. Las Vegas canned 14 of 18 shots in a 37-point first quarter and went on to grab a 71-36 halftime lead, marking the most points scored in the first half in WNBA history.
A’ja Wilson finished with 25 points for the Aces, while Kelsey Plum continued her breakout season with 21 points on just nine shot attempts. And Las Vegas played much better defense than it has lately, although it’s still allowing 95.6 points per game in its last five contests.
“If being great were easy, everyone would be doing it,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “You have to hit some adversity. There should be some hiccups.”
