Connecituc Sun power forward Alyssa Thomas chose the perfect time to have a career night. Thomas scored a career-high 28 points as the Sun beat the Minnesota Lynx 90-75 in Game 3 of their best-of-three round one playoff series on Wednesday.
Thomas scored or assisted on 58 of the Sun's 90 points in Game 3. It's the most in the WNBA playoffs since its inaugural season in 1997. Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner also became the first duo to record 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists each in a playoff gam, per ESPN Stats & Info (via ESPN's Alexa Philippou).
Alyssa Thomas : 28 points (13-20 shooting & 2-3 from the FT line), 6 rebounds, 12 assists, only 2 turnovers & played all 40 minutes pic.twitter.com/nRk1XtpX32
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) September 21, 2023
The Sun drained eight of their first nine field-goal attempts to take a 20-6 lead. The Lynx inched within three points before Connecticut scored 11 unanswered points to take a 14-point lead at the half. Alyssa Thomas scored 14 of her 28 points in the first two quarters.
The victory propelled Thomas and Co. to their fifth consecutive WNBA semifinals appearance. They will square off against Breanna Stewart's New York Liberty in the best-of-five series. The Sun, which reached the 2022 WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces, face a tall order – New York swept Connecticut in the regular season.
Will Alyssa Thomas and the Sun turn things around against the Liberty in the playoffs? Thomas and Bonner will lead the charge for Connecticut. On the other hand, they will have their hands full against Stewart, a prime candidate for 2023 WNBA MVP honors. Neither squad has won a WNBA title so the stakes are high in this series.
For her part, Alyssa Thomas has spent her entire 10-year WNBA career with the Sun. She is double-double machine who will give the Liberty fits. It's about time she earns her first WNBA championship ring.
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