Connecticut had its usual balanced attack from the floor in Game 1. Alyssa Thomas had a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. She now owns four of the six triple-doubles in WNBA playoff history and collected her latest on the day she finished fifth in MVP voting, one spot behind Caitlin Clark.
Thomas’ fiancé DeWanna Bonner was equally productive. She was tasked with the Clark defensive assignment and was superb against the rookie, preventing her from getting to her stepback going left and swallowing up Clark’s drives. Bonner had 22 points, five assists and two blocks, and the Sun were a game-high plus-22 in her minutes.
Connecticut also had some unexpected success from beyond the arc. Marina Mabrey — pushed into heavier minutes due to a first-half injury to Ty Harris — found her stroke in the third quarter and ended the game with five triples. The Sun finished with nine as a team, just the 11th time all season they’ve had at least eight in a game; they are 10-1 when they hit that total from the 3-point line.
Although the margin ballooned in the fourth, Connecticut was in control against the Fever from the middle of the second quarter onwards. The Sun weathered the early excitement from their youthful opposition and then dominated in a familiar way the rest of the game.
