Sun 67, Mystics 56: We have ourselves a fun basketball team to watch

Winning is fun, after all, but it’s such a joy to watch this Connecticut Sun team the last couple of weeks (with the notable exception of the fourth quarter and overtime Sunday against Indiana, of course). Perhaps it’s Saniya Rivers and her endless positivity rubbing off on everyone, maybe it’s great leadership from Tina Charles, or just Leila Lacan changing things with her defense.

Most likely, it’s a combination of all of them, but what we know for sure, is this team is having fun. It was never more evident than it was Thursday in a 67-56 win over Washington over Mohegan Sun Arena where you had Saniya Rivers and Aneesah Morrow dancing on the bench, Aaliyah Edwards sticking her tongue out multiple times, and Tina Charles doing random celebrations after hitting shots, then leading the crowd in some dances postgame.


It’s not something you often get from an 8-27 team playing out the string, but it has turned potentially one of the worst statistical campaigns in WNBA history into a promising look at the future, and certainly hope to return to the playoffs sooner rather than later.


The offense still needs a lot of work (and maybe a player or two), and sometimes the Sun’s youth certainly shows, but they are competing hard every night. Two months ago in Washington, they gave up 104 points in a contest where they looked clueless and lifeless on defense, a pattern that was sadly common early in the season.


But the Sun not only beat the Mystics twice in three days, but did so handily, neither game was really competitive, even with all the flaws in their game. There is still plenty of room for growth, and you don’t want to get too excited about the future, especially with a pretty rough set of games coming down the stretch, but the Sun are so fun to watch.


That’s not a statement I expected to utter on August 21 this season. Keep singing and dancing when you win, Tina.  


What else did we learn Thursday as the Sun almost climbed out of the cellar, but Chicago upset New York?:


 

  1. The Sun have an identity  - I’m not sure if it happened organically or Rachid Meziane just figured out what kind of roster he has now, but the Sun are going to get in the face of your guards and take the ball from you. Fifteen steals (five from Leila Lacan), one off a season high in the WNBA this season, makes it kind of tough to score many points as Washington attempted just 51 shots in the game. Granted, the Mystics traded their All-Star point guard and weren’t great at the position to begin with, but Sonia Cintron couldn’t get going in either game and Washington looked lost, which I’d like to credit to the Sun defense. 

  2. Know your role - Tina Charles looked like she was having a blast, scoring 22 points, but playing just 21 minutes as Aaliyah Edwards (16), Aneesah Morrow (24), and Olivia Nelson-Ododa (18, would like to see more) all got a decent run. Marina Mabrey still played 37 minutes, but at least we’re moving in the right direction with the youth movement, especially with the schedule being so busy the rest of the way. 

  3. Edwards has athleticism -  Aaliyah Edwards is still having trouble finishing and hanging on to the ball a little, but you can see how her athleticism adds to the Sun defense. On switches, she was able to at least stay with guards and get back to her position off help before giving up the layups that we’ve seen so often this season, and she beat the Mystics down the floor a couple of times as well. In general, the Sun are doing worlds better at recovering from both (except for the Indiana second half) and the numbers show the improvement.


Player of the game:  Tina Charles - Charles had 12 points in the third quarter and some of them were with ridiculous degree of difficulty, including a fadeaway 21-footer at the shot clock buzzer. Charles looked rested in her time in the game, and while her shot selection sometimes leads something to be desired, she’s allowed some latitude with her resume, and she’s been a great role model for the youngsters.


Inside the numbers : 2 -  Number of three-pointers the Sun made in the contest (shooting 2-for-14. Mabrey, again, didn’t hit one, but Connecticut still won easily, which also shows how far they’ve come. 


Under the radar: It looked like another unfortunate injury against the Sun when Saniya Rivers blocked Jade Melbourne’s shot and she fell hard to floor, having to go to the locker room. But she started the second half and seemed at least good enough to play after that. Kiki Iriafen also picked up a big knot on her head after running into Olivia Nelson-Ododa, which led to some great comedy. Stefanie Dolson reacted with shock, Rivers did her usual joking around with Iriafen, then Iriafen told the camera not to zoom in on her. Typical WNBA stuff.


I mentioned it before, but the pick-and-roll defense from the Sun was so much better, as was the recovery time, not allowing people like Cintron to get open looks. They’ll be tested against the likes of New York, Paige Bueckers, and Minnesota next week, so we shall see.


Quotable:  “Before the last game, Rachid (Meziane) said, 'You know, we're out of playoff contention, but it's about having pride, showing up, and doing our jobs.' It's great to see that everyone can impact the game like this.” - Tina Charles





Next up: Saturday at Chicago, 4 p.m. EDT

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