Sun rise

Defense wins championships, we’re told , but sometimes good offense is nice to have, too, and in the case of the Los Angeles Sparks, they are on fire lately, scoring 100 or more for the fifth time in six games (the Sun were nice enough to be a participant in two of them), beating the Sun 102-91 Thursday night. It is the league-high seventh time Connecticut has given up 100 and it’s obviously something that needs improving in the future, but this was probably the least painful of those games and a game they were in until the final minutes. Even the super defensive lineup of Leila Lacan, Saniya Rivers, Aneesah Morrow, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa that I love so much couldn’t quite stop the Sparks in the fourth quarter (although it at least slowed them down a little). In the preview, I wrote about maybe picking your poison, making Julie Allemand beat you , and all she did was get her first career triple double. The Sun also didn’t have to contend with Cameron Brink in the first two meetings a...

When we last saw the Los Angeles Sparks, we were lamenting the fact that the Sun had given up 100 points , again, for the sixth time this season. It was a sign that the Sun’s defensive deficiencies were frustratingly going to continue in the second half of the season. Well, thankfully, they haven’t. And those Sparks - who were once 5-13 - are now the hottest offensive team in the WNBA, scoring 100 in three of their last four games as they have inserted themselves firmly in the playoff picture at 13-15. No one is going to feel sorry for the Sun this season, but Thursday’s game is another case of possibly getting a team at the wrong time. The two teams did not meet in the first six weeks of the season when Los Angeles was struggling, and now they have Cameron Brink back as well as they look to make a playoff push. Cameron Brink is back and had five blocks in a recent game (Grace Hollars) For most teams, just reaching the playoffs is not exactly a lofty goal, but it’s been a minute (2020)...

The Sun’s transition defense was pretty dreadful in the first quarter against Phoenix Monday night, and they never really recovered from the early deficit in an 82-66 loss. But - as has been the pattern in the last month, at least - it’s not a defeat that can really be pinned on the defense. Phoenix did take its foot off the gas a bit in the fourth quarter, but with the contest finishing on 82 possessions, the Sun were right at the 1 point per possession mark again, continuing to drop its efficiency, which has been steadily going downward. The offense, however? Not great. The big focus will be the first quarter that saw Connecticut score six points and shoot 2-for-16 from the field, but it’s a larger question of what they want their future to be. Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey are the team’s two leading scorers, but also take way more shots than anyone else (13.8 and 14.4 field goal attempts per game, respectively, with Bria Hartley next highest at 8.1). We know the Sun don’t have a tr...

The Sun are back on the road for the first time in three weeks, and it’s a very grueling four-game west coast trip in seven days . But (and the Sun are not alone in this, obviously) it won’t stop there, Connecticut will play its last 17 games in 36 days leading into the season finale against Atlanta on Sept. 10. It won’t leave time for much reflection, which is a shame for a young team like the Sun, who needs practices to really improve, but that’s the way it’s going to be for the foreseeable future unless the new bargaining agreement changes things dramatically. At least the Sun are healthy, other teams are not so lucky, although the Mercury - who have dealt with injuries almost all season - are also nearly full strength, minus Satou Sabally’s absence for personal reasons. Leila Lacan would be third in the WNBA in steals if she had enough games to qualify. (Chris Poss) Obviously we don’t want to run anyone into the ground, but I hope Rachid Meziane and the Sun give the young players a...

Whereas Friday’s game against the New York Liberty was a sign that the future can be very bright for the Connecticut Sun, Sunday proved just how hard it might be to get there. There were far more frustrating defeats this season than the one they took Sunday afternoon, 87-78, at Mohegan Sun Arena. But it’s still a loss to the shorthanded Liberty, who will obviously get a lot better once Breanna Stewart returns and Emma Meesseman gets up to speed.  The defense wasn’t as perfect as it was Friday night, but even with Sabrina Ionescu’s heroics, it wasn’t terrible, checking in at 1.024 points per possession, well below their season average. The Sun forced 20 more turnovers (seven from Ionescu) and were at least average in the other categories.  Ionescu was largely the difference, scoring 36 points with 11 rebounds and making big plays every time New York needed one. As the broadcast pointed out, it did take Ionescu some time to adjust to the WNBA, with 2020 being a mess for her wit...

Nothing has really changed since Friday, well, at least on the court, so I figured we’d go off the board and off the court for the preview of the second game of a series with the New York Liberty. If you’ve been in a cave or on the town Saturday, multiple reports stated that the sale of the Connecticut Sun to Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca for $325 million is done and the franchise would be moving to Boston in 2027. That seems pretty straightforward, but it is far from it at the moment. Before I start, I want to iterate and reiterate that the most likely scenario for the end of this saga is for the Sun to indeed be in Boston in 2027. Marina Mabrey chases down a ball after battling with Stephanie Talbot Friday (David Butler / Imagn Images) But - and a big but - there are many things that are not adding up as finalized. Let’s start with Pagliuca, who is technically the Celtics minority owner, but not for much longer. The team recently sold for $6.1 billion (yes, with a b) ...