The WNBA finals are in full swing and the Connecticut Sun’s battle against the Las Vegas Aces is heating up. Finishing the regular season in second place in the eastern conference, the Sun won 25 of their 36 games. After solid performances in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the only thing standing in the way of their first championship in team history are the Las Vegas Aces, who posted the best regular season record in the WNBA this seasion, and are fresh off a 3-1 series win over Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm. Though they have never won a WNBA championship, the Sun are no stranger to success. They have been successful with top 5 regular season finishers in 4 of the last 5 seasons.
Playing at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, just fifteen minutes from Conn, the Sun are the only professional sports team in the state, and their playoff run has pulled fans from all over. 9,142 fans came out for the Sun’s game on September 4 – a near sell out in the 10,000 seat arena. First year Avery Burns, a member of Conn’s women’s basketball team, attended the September 4th game with her teammates, and she thinks that this could be the Sun’s year. Burns explained it was “very crowded and they had playoff shirts on the seats for everyone.” Burns observed a largely older crowd in the stands but a crowded one nonetheless. The Sun played well, led by guards DeWanna Bonner (18 points) and Natisha Hiedeman (14 points) but ultimately faltered in the waning minutes of the game, 72-76, to the Chicago Sky in the second round of the playoffs, with Chicago leading the series (2-1).
Two days later, the Sun were back in action with a vengeance at home. Kicking off game four of the series with an enthralling victory of 104-80 over the Sky, tying the series at 2. Dominant play from the likes of Bonner (19 points) and guard Courtney Williams (19 points) led the Sun to their convincing win, forcing a winner-take-all game five that would come on September 8 in Chicago.
Players like forward Alyssa Thomas contributed 17 points to the victory over Chicago and has been a standout this playoff season. In game 5, Jonquel Jones (15 points), Thomas (12 points), and Bonner (15 points) pushed the team ahead of the Sky, playing to an enthralling 72-63 victory, clinching their place in the finals.
A 12 year veteran, Bonner, a four-time WNBA All-star and two-time WNBA champion (during her time with the Phoenix Mercury,) has also been a critical piece for the Sun, putting up consistent points for the Sun.
Another critical piece for the Sun is former Conn alum and current strength & conditioning coach, Analisse Rios. In April of 2020, Rios was added to the Sun’s organization in 2020 where she serves as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach. Rios is a former member of the Bolivian Women’s National Soccer team, as well as Conn’s women’s soccer and track and field.
In terms of the atmosphere she has witnessed during this intense playoff season, Rios said “We are fortunate that we always have a good crowd at our games. But for the playoffs….It’s been electric.” The Sun fell to Vegas 64-67 in the opening playoff game on September 11 and fell again on September 13 81-75, giving Vegas a 2-0 lead in the series. The Sun bit back at home in Uncasville with a huge 105-76 victory, keeping their championship dreams alive. The Sun will be back in action on September 18 to take on Vegas in game 4.
This article was written ahead of game 4, a game that could result in a championship for the Aces or a winner-takes-all game on September 20.
