Can Sun go up 2-0 on Lynx? Three keys for Connecticut in Game 2 initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Connecticut Sun have wrested home-court benefit from the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA semifinals. But going up 2-0 will not be straightforward.
The Sun earned a narrow 73-70 win over the Lynx in Game 1 on Sunday, limiting Minnesota celebrity Napheesa Collier to 19 factors on 7 of 16 taking pictures and getting a 20-point effort from midseason pickup Marina Mabrey.
Game 2 is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday evening in Minnesota, and the Lynx — who have not misplaced back-to-back video games since mid-July — virtually actually will make changes. So, what does Connecticut want to do to emerge with the victory?
NBC Connecticut sports activities reporter Gabby Lucivero joined NBC Boston's Hannah Donnelly on the latest On Her Mark podcast to share her three keys to a Sun victory in Game 2. Lucivero's first key? Get DeWanna Bonner going offensively.
CT SUN Semi-Finals vs. Minnesota Lynx | Game 1 Recap | Listen and Subscribe
“I do think Bonner needs to have a better shooting night,” Lucivero instructed Donnelly. “I think DB would say she needs to have a better shooting night. Because we're going see to Minnesota step it up. (Collier) is going to be looking at that box score going, ‘That's not acceptable for me.' So, we're gonna see those two things get ratcheted up.”
Bonner scored simply 10 factors on 4 of 17 taking pictures (2 of 8 from 3-point vary) in Game 1, however Connecticut's robust protection helped energy the victory. Lucivero's second key revolved round slowing down Collier, who scored a whopping 80 factors mixed in the Lynx's 2-0 sweep of the Phoenix Mercury in Round 1.
“I think that they need to figure out a way to be able to take (Collier) out of the game without needing necessarily a four-player rotation,” Lucivero stated. “So, No. 2 is, what's the solution for (Collier) knowing she's going to be coming in expecting to play better than she did in Game 1?”
Lucivero's third key targeted on Sun guard DiJonai Carrington, who not too long ago was named the WNBA's Most Improved Player. Alyssa Thomas, Bonner and Mabrey are Connecticut's three most potent offensive gamers, so if Carrington — who scored 13 factors in Game 1 — could make vital contributions on that finish, that is a main X-factor for the Sun.
“I'm gonna take Alyssa Thomas out of the keys to the game because Alyssa Thomas is the key to the game,” Lucivero stated. “So, I wanna see more — it feels wrong to say ‘more' from DiJonai Carrington, because she has done everything — but we haven't really talked about her that much in this, and she has been such a huge piece of why the Sun are here and I've loved her trajectory.”
“… Key three is more new-look DiJonai. Just more of it. I think she played great in Game 1 — now just give us more.”
Follow the On Her Mark podcast all through the WNBA playoffs for response and evaluation of each Sun sport.
