It's Always Sunny in Connecticut

The Connecticut Sun burn the Seattle Storm 93-73

(Uncasville, Connecticut) - In a season with many setbacks and difficult defeats. This game was particularly tough. The Seattle Storm were well-rested not having played since Sunday and the hope was they would give Connecticut a tough battle. That hope quickly turned to distress as the Sun exploded out to a 29-6 first quarter. Connecticut led by as many as 37 points before claiming a 20-point victory with a final score of 93-73.

After the game, I asked Coach Quinn to describe her team’s defense in that first period.

“Atrocious. Non-existent. No resistance. It felt like it was an open gym out there. No discipline. A lot of bad things.” Quinn spoke honestly.

Ezi gave her perspective during the post-game press conference as well.

“They were easy points. They were getting layup after layup. I think our transition defense lacked in the first quarter - the first half really. It wasn’t anything they were doing that was special. I think we just need to get back on defense and make their shots tougher. They shot well in the first half but we can do things to counter that but we just didn’t do that.” Magbegor added.

One positive to take from this game was the fact that the younger players all had a good amount of playing time. All four rookies played at least 17 minutes. Jordan Horston and Ivana Dojkić both started. Horston returned to the starting lineup replacing Joyner Holmes who struggled once she made the jump from a Reserve to a Starter.

None of the rookies had overly impressive games but they were solid. Ivana struggled a little bit. She had five points and three turnovers. Jordan had six points, four rebounds, and three steals. Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu added eight points and two rebounds. And Jade Melbourne finished with five points. Her first points in WNBA action since mid-June.

Horston, Fankam Mendjiadeu, and Melbourne played the majority of the fourth quarter. With Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner resting on the bench, the Storm outscored the Sun 28-13 over the final 10 minutes. Those three rookies along with Kia Nurse and Sami Whitcomb gave the Storm some really good minutes to end the game.

I spoke with Coach Quinn about what was said at halftime to try and rally the team and what stood out in the 4th quarter that were some positives.

“At halftime, we addressed the turnovers. They scored off of every live-ball turnover. Our transition defense was bad. Sticking to the basketball. A sense of urgency, our pride, our heart, all of those things have to come into play. Particularly, when we’re playing a tough team like this. I thought that we didn’t start the game well. To your point, the second half was better. Good things from Dulcy, just playing hard, getting extra possessions. Jade came in there and was able to use her pace and create; get downhill. For our young players, it was good to have them get some reps.” Quinn said.

I asked Jewell what positives she saw in those final 10 minutes.

“We moved the ball. We made shots.” Loyd was short and to the point.

Connecticut Sun

It really is a shame that Brionna Jones tore her Achilles’ heel the last time the Sun played Seattle. Jones will miss the remainder of this season and possibly part of next season due to the injury. It’s a shame because Jones has been one of the better Centers in the league in recent seasons and because this Connecticut team is really, really good. I have my doubts that any team, including the Liberty, will be able to eliminate the Las Vegas Aces come playoff time. But this Connecticut team, with a healthy Bri Jones, sure would make it interesting. If nothing else, they may have a say in which team Las Vegas sees in the Finals. Most WNBA fans are likely expecting a Finals matchup between the Aces and the Liberty. I don’t think you can completely rule out Connecticut. After all, they did make the Finals last season and reached the WNBA Finals in 2019 as well.

In this game, six of Connecticut’s players scored in double figures. Four of them reached that mark at halftime after they scored 57 points in the first half. DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas each had 16 points to lead their team. Bonner pulled down seven rebounds, and Thomas added five rebounds and a game-high seven assists.

Tiffany Hayes, who’s been an excellent new addition to the team, added 14 points and five assists. Rebecca Allen finished with 14 points and five rebounds. Natisha Hiedeman also added 14 points as the 5th starter. Ty Harris was strong off the bench with 11 points and five assists.

Connecticut outshot Seattle 54% (34-63 FG) to 39% (26-67 FG). They were even better from beyond the arc at 69% (9-13 FG) to Seattle’s 33% (8-24 FG). The Sun had a 24-17 edge in assists.

Game Breakdown

Alyssa Thomas knocked Jewell Loyd down and then knocked her jumper down to begin the game. A couple of plays later Jordan Horston lofted a nice floater in the paint. AT then scored on an AND1 when Ivana Dojkić was a little late in rotating over for the help defense. Ezi Magbegor was able to drive past DeWanna Bonner to score. Thomas then found Rebecca Allen cutting on a 3-on-2 fast break. Bonner connected on a three-ball to make it 10-4 Connecticut four minutes into the game.

Layup, after layup, after layup, that’s what we saw as the Connecticut Sun went on a 19-0 run. Connecticut led 24-4 before Joyner Holmes scored in the paint for Seattle. Rebecca Allen immediately hit a three in response to Seattle’s first points in nearly six minutes.

Seattle had nine turnovers in the opening period. The Storm trailed 29-6 after the first quarter.

Even when the Storm made nice plays like Ivana Dojkić connecting on a three-pointer early in the 2nd period, the Sun immediately countered with a three-ball of their own by DeWanna Bonner.

The offense improved some for the Storm in the 2nd quarter. They scored nine points in the first five and a half minutes. Unfortunately, the defense did not improve. Connecticut continued to score at will. They were still able to get several points in the paint and easy layups. Even when they took shots further away from the rim, they still made the majority of their shots.

Every time Seattle made a big shot, Connecticut hit a three in response. This happened several times. It was almost absurd. Even when Seattle made nice plays, Connecticut made even better ones. And when Seattle didn’t score, Connecticut continued to score.

The Sun outscored the Storm 28-18 in the second quarter and led 57-24 at the break. It was a massacre. Four Sun players reached double figures. Bonner and Thomas each scored 13 points. Rebecca Allen had 11 and Tiffany Hayes added 10 more points. Jewell led Seattle with nine in the first half.

Connecticut outshot Seattle 67% (24-36 FG) to 24% (7-29 FG). The Storm more than doubled the Sun’s turnovers 15-7.

The third period started off much better for Seattle. They went on a 7-0 run. Jordan Horston grabbed an offensive rebound and was able to make a quick putback layup. The Storm forced a turnover and then Ezi scored in the paint. Loyd then buried a triple.

Seattle cut the 33-point lead down to 26 but Connecticut would respond in kind. The Sun would go on a 10-2 run. They ultimately outscored Seattle by two in the third, 23-21. The Sun led 80-45 after three quarters.

There were some positives to take from the fourth quarter. Kia Nurse hit a three and got an AND1 on a strong drive to the rim. Jordan was able to score in transition and made a beautiful whipping pass to Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu for some points in the paint. Dulcy also was able to deflect a ball off of Connecticut to force a turnover.

The three rookies, Sami Whitcomb, and Nurse did play well in the fourth. They helped the Storm outscore the Sun 28-13 over the final 10 minutes. Of course, Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner rested on the bench with such a massive lead. It was still good to see Seattle fight back even if it was too little, too late.

At the end of the game, Connecticut easily won 93-73.

Additional Analysis

Tough Love

As the Storm were getting brutally beaten down, it was reported that Jewell Loyd had some harsh words to her teammates. An F-Bomb or two was dropped as Loyd questioned which of her teammates wanted to show up and play hard.

Instead of assuming the worst about the future of Loyd’s career in Seattle. I thought it’d be best to talk with her about that moment after the game.

“Yeah, you know, my job as the leader is to try to find ways to motivate our squad. Most people know that I’m very calm, cool, and collected but if I need to light a fire under someone’s ass then I will. That is what was needed. We ended up playing well for a stretch going into the half. At halftime, the same thing, try to figure out what’s going on, make some adjustments and hopefully get right back in the game.” Loyd told me.

I also spoke with Coach Quinn about what she’s seeing out of Jewell during these frustrating moments and games. Loyd has won a lot of games in Seattle during her nine-year career. She has not missed the playoffs since her rookie season in 2015. She has been on a playoff contender every year of her career except her first year in the league. And she’s been an integral part of two WNBA Championships for the Storm.

“From my vantage point, she’s been very positive. She’s come in and showed up every single day. This year is very difficult because we are in a rebuild mode. We are young. We are trying to find some pieces to help us get back to the top. Throughout that, she’s been excellent. If it impacts her in a negative way, she doesn’t show it. She shows up. She’s leading, vocalizing, she’s trying to get her teammates to play at a high level. From my vantage point, she’s been very positive.” Coach Quinn stated.

But losing is tough. Losing is hard on everyone but especially a player like Loyd who is having to carry the franchise after Sue Bird retired and Breanna Stewart left the team. It can’t be easy to give it your all game after game and see your team struggle this much.

How Gabby Can Make Jordan Better

If you read my “How Gabby Williams Can Impact the Storm” article, you’ll know I talked about how there was some concern that Gabby could limit Jordan Horston’s playing time because the two share a lot of similar qualities and obviously Gabby is more experienced and a veteran. If you haven’t read that piece yet you can view it at the link above.

Prior to Thursday night’s game against Connecticut, I was able to speak with Coach Quinn. I told her what I wrote and asked her to make the counterargument. How can Gabby Williams help Jordan Horston develop further?

I thought she had some good things to say that I’ve included below.

“You bring up a great point. I think it’s good for Gabby to be here and for Jordan to see how it looks and feels as a pro, at this level, and at that position. Being athletically gifted. Being versatile, being able to pass, defend, and all of those things. Now (she) can see it in another player on a day-to-day basis. I think that’ll be very good for her and her progress.” Quinn told me.

“I don’t know if it’s taking away minutes (from Jordan). I think they can play together. Think about what we can do defensively on the floor. I think this is great for the process of Jordan and her growth. Again, to see how it looks like from another individual. I’m looking forward to it. The development of Jordan does not get stymied because Gabby is here. I think it improves in a tremendous way.” Coach added.

More Post Help

It’s more and more evident that Seattle is really going to need to address the post position in the next off-season. Ezi Magbegor is an All-Star and the future of the franchise at just 23 years old. But she got in foul trouble in the first quarter and the game completely got out of hand as soon as she departed. Seattle trailed 10-4 with 5:49 left to play in the opening frame when Magbegor picked up her second foul. She sat the rest of the period and Connecticut finished on a 19-2 run over those final six minutes. Seattle had no rim protection with Magbegor out and Connecticut’s players scored on nearly every single possession; many were easy layups.

Unless the Storm land the #1 overall pick and Caitlin Clark declares for the 2024 WNBA Draft, I believe the Storm will need to add a post player with their (likely) Top 4 Lottery selection. We really don’t know which players will actually declare for the draft and which will stay an extra 5th season. Cameron Brink, Aaliyah Edwards, Angel Reese, Rickea Jackson, and Kamilla Cardoso are some of the top post prospects. Ayoka Lee and Elizabeth Kitley are other players to consider, more likely with the team’s second-round selection.

Seattle may need to add through the draft and Free Agency. Several of the top players are likely to re-sign with their current teams. But players like Jonquel Jones who isn’t fitting in well in New York or Brionna Jones coming off her Achilles’ tear could be options. They could take a flyer on Kalani Brown. Maybe throw a Supermax deal at Satou Sabally (RFA) and hope Dallas isn’t able to match. Ezi and Satou on the same WNBA team, where do I sign up?

Joyner Holmes is a solid role player off the bench. But she really struggled when starting and going against the other team’s top players. Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu is a strong presence who gives energy and can rebound but is limited offensively. Jordan Horston isn’t a true low-post player and should be playing as a dynamic guard/wing with size instead. And Mercedes Russell, well I really don’t know what to say about Mercedes Russell. Her minutes have decreased significantly as the season has progressed. I don’t know if it’s health-related or if she just hasn’t been able to play well enough for Quinn to keep her in the lineup. But I think, even at her best, the team knows what Mercedes is and what she isn’t.

Post players are so important in the WNBA. Seattle needs to get Ezi some help in 2024 and beyond.

Up Next

The Seattle Storm (4-13) move on to New York for another round with Breanna Stewart and the Liberty (12-4). The game is on Saturday, July 8th at 11:00 AM PDT. It will air on ESPN.

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