Sun 95, Valkyries 64: We can be heroes, hopefully not for just one day

It may end up being just an aberration in a 44-game regular season, but as I’ve said the other three times the Sun were victorious, don’t forget to sing when you win, especially when you come in as six-point underdogs and win by 31 as Connecticut did Sunday, thumping Golden State 95-64 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Obviously it’s a different level of opponent on offense than Los Angeles, who hung 101 on them Thursday (and, to be fair, did the same in New York on Friday), but everything the Sun wanted to do on the defensive end but hadn’t come to fruition Sunday, with the Valkyries turning the ball over 22 times, 14 of them coming from Connecticut steals. They also did not allow Golden State many second chances, just 25% of their misses, and that’s the recipe that can make the Sun competitive the rest of the way if they can pull it off.


Yes, there were a lot of mitigating factors that won’t be there Monday night when Seattle visits: Golden State had played Friday night on the west coast, and arguably its best player, Kayla Thornton is now out for the season with a knee injury. And as we pointed out in the preview, the Valkyries aren’t a great offensive squad to begin with, as impressive as they have been as an expansion team this season.


And so, we can only hope this is a formula the Sun might be able to follow for the final 20 games of the 2025 season, although replicating it will not be easy. But compared to some of the demoralizing losses we saw in the first couple of months of the campaign (one of which was at Golden State), this was refreshing and a sign that this team is going to fight for the last two months, no matter what record says. 


I don’t think Tina Charles would have it any other way. 


What else did we learn Sunday on a day to remember for the Sun?:



 

  1. There were a lot of contributors  - Poor Olivia Nelson-Ododa fouled out in just nine minutes, going scoreless, while Marina Mabrey looked improved with 15 points (and a team-leading 4 assists), but she was just 2-for-8 from three-point range. Aneesah Morrow got the start and scored just eight points, but had 11 rebounds, and a couple of big steals. Bria Hartley, slightly embarrassed after getting ejected Friday, hit 4 three-pointers. Leila Lacan had five steals off the bench. Jacy Sheldon also scored 13 points as a non-starter, and even Rayah Marshall got some first-half minutes. A true team victory, and for my many criticisms of Rachid Meziane, he does give his players a chance to show what they can do.

  2. A little scouting, at least - Golden State, as it has done in almost every game this season, went to its zone in the second quarter, something that propelled it to a massive lead when these two teams met in San Francisco last month. This time, the Sun had a big lead, but Sheldon drilled a three on the first Valkyries zone possession, and they at least looked like they had a plan to attack it. Connecticut did finish with 16 turnovers, but went 12-for-29 from behind the arc, and were sparked by…..

  3. Season-high 95 points, but defense was the story -  The Sun finished with an impressive 1.16 points per possession, and shooting well helps, but to me, it was more about the defense sparking the offense, whether it be directly when Morrow or Lacan steals led to runouts, or even indirectly, when they forced a bad shot, were able to rebound it, and get out for a good, early look. Meziane (and Mabrey) has talked about doing that more often this season, but it just hasn’t worked out, sometimes because you need to get that stop first before the rest of it comes into play. The one thing that wasn’t great from the defensive effort? Committing 23 fouls, but no one’s perfect, right?


Player of the game:  Tina Charles - You’ll have to look down at Inside The Numbers to see her most impressive stat of the day, but Charles not only scored 24 points and added six rebounds, but she did it in just 19 minutes, allowing her to rest on the front end of a back-to-back. Even more impressive, she was a late addition to the injury report because of an illness.


Inside the numbers : +39 -  Mark for Charles Sunday, which would be tied for second in the WNBA this season if it weren’t for FOUR Liberty players posting a better mark in that 100-52 debacle in New York earlier in the season. Interestingly, the one player ahead? Veronica Burton, who went +40 in a lopsided win over Las Vegas. 


Under the radar: I alluded to it before, and it’s pretty easy in a 30-point victory, but it does seem like camaraderie has been decent this season, and it allows players to step in and contribute when their number is called. You can picture down the road, a core of Lacan, Morrow, and Rivers with a couple of added pieces (maybe Nelson-Ododa in there) a few years from now doing some damage in the WNBA. Still at Mohegan Sun Arena, right?


Quotable:  “We bounced back today because we knew our defense fuels our offense. Our one-on-one defense, our team defense stayed connected. We are really good in transition, and we have to keep that in the forefront of our mind.” - Marina Mabrey


Next up: Monday vs. Seattle, 7 p.m. EDT



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