Title: Week 3 - All Eyes on the W 5/26-6/01
Headline: Sun’s Holding the Top Spot; Liberty and Lynx Not Far Behind
By Sharon Mullen, Chief Staff Writer
Matchups with history. Revenge games. Clark and Reese’s first league matchup. And happy fans. We thought Week 2 was a thrill. But Week 3 told us to hang on to our basketball jerseys, it’s time to ride!
The Connecticut Sun remained undefeated with their resounding wins over the Phoenix Mercury and Dallas Wings. Their matchup with the Mercury had fans reeling, ending with a final score of 70-47. DeWanna Bonner, who scored her 7000th point during the game, led all scorers with 19 points. Dijonai Carrington continued playing smothering defense and helped the Sun with second chance points grabbing 10 rebounds, and 10-year veteran Alyssa Thomas dropped dimes racking up 8 assists. The Mercury had a cold shooting night, only shooting 23.8% from the floor, 2.7% from 3 resulting in no player scoring in double figures. They also turned the ball over 20 times versus only 9 for the Sun.
The Sun ran away with this one, but the Dallas Wings let them know it was not going to be that kind of game with them when they marched into Mohegan Sun Arena. With over 7000 in attendance, the Wings sent a message from the beginning, starting off with a 11-2 lead early in the first quarter. With 5:21 left in the second quarter, the Sun took their first lead and kept it, going into halftime up 40-34. They led by as much as 14 in the third quarter as they traded baskets with the Wings. The Wings fought back, going on a 13-0 run to pull within 1 late in the fourth quarter. Finally, with just over 3 minutes left in the game, the Sun went up 2 on an Alyssa Thomas layup to finish out the game with the win, 74-72 taking them to 7-0 on the season. Brionna Jones went 22PTS/4RBS/1AST as the Sun shot 48% from the floor, 20% from 3-point range while making 11 turnovers in the win. The Wings shot 51% from the floor, 38% from 3-point range, and had 15 turnovers in the loss.
The New York Liberty still stands second in the league after scoring victories over the Mercury 81-78, and the Mystics 90-79. Guard Sabrina Ionescu led all scorers in both wins, averaging 23 points per game. The Liberty added stellar play in the paint to match their offensive performances. Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart had 40 rebounds between them while adding 4 steals and 2 blocks combined across both games. The Liberty shot 43% from the field, 31% from 3-point range in their victories, pushing their record to 6-2, 4-1 at home.
Coming off wins against the Liberty and the Dream in back-to-back games, the Minnesota Lynx split the week with a loss to defending champs Las Vegas Aces and a win against the Phoenix Mercury. Behind their top ranked field goal percentage and the fifth best defense, the Lynx pushed their record to 5-2. Napheesa Collier led all scorers on the Lynx against the Aces with 18 points. She added 13 rebounds, 2 steals and a block in the Lynx loss, 80-66. The Aces’ A’ja Wilson led all scorers with 29 points and was strong on the boards bringing down 15 rebounds in the win. The Lynx bounced back in their win over the Mercury 95-71. The star of the game was rookie forward Alissa Pili who came off the bench for a team high 20 points and adding 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Napheesa Collier posted her fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds. She added 2 assists, a block, and a steal on 1 turnover in the game.
Other Week 3 scores: Sparks 88 – Fever 82, Storm 77 – Sky 68, Dream 73 – Mystics 67, Storm 103 – Fever 88, Sky 83 – Sparks 73, Dream 78 – Aces 74, and Fever 71 – Sky 70 in the first WNBA matchup between college rivals Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
And now, for our Week 3 MVP of the Week, All Things WNBA selects….
At forward, from Connecticut, 6’4”, the reigning league MVP, 2-time champion, 5-time All-Star Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, for her performance against the Washington Mystics in Friday’s game.
Stat line:
18 PTS 15 RB 5 AST FT 10/12 2 STL +/- +13
After a technical foul was assessed on the Mystics due to a delay of game, Stewart made the 2 free throws to lock in the win, 90-79.
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Sharon Mullen is a freelance writer, influencer, and podcaster, focusing on sports, lifestyle, and relationships. She is a graduate of Michigan State University.
