The Connecticut Sun's hopes of securing a top playoff spot took a hit Tuesday night after a narrow 78-76 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. With less than eight seconds remaining, Minnesota's Napheesa Collier made a decisive pass to Bridget Carleton, who drained a game-winning 3-pointer. The loss put the Sun’s third-place standing in the WNBA playoffs in jeopardy, and now their final regular-season game against the Chicago Sky on Thursday will determine whether they keep their No. 3 seed or fall further.
Despite the tough loss, Connecticut’s star Alyssa Thomas remains unfazed by outside opinions about the team.
“I don’t think it matters if we’re No. 1 or No. 12, I think everyone always has the same opinion about us,” Thomas said, as reported by Maggie Vanoni of CT Insider. “We’ve been a one seed, and still people don’t pick us to win. But honestly, we just don’t care … If you actually watch the game and watch what we’re doing, we’re a tough team for a reason.”
The Sun's performance against Minnesota, however, didn’t reflect their usual defensive prowess, especially in the first half. Connecticut struggled to contain Collier, who led all scorers with 25 points and added four blocks. Minnesota's fast-paced ball movement stretched Connecticut's defense thin, leaving open shots for the Lynx. The Sun’s lack of aggression allowed Minnesota to control much of the game, leading by as many as 12 points in the third quarter.
Sun struggle to break through Lynx defense
On the offensive end, Connecticut had trouble breaking through Minnesota’s defense. The Lynx were aggressive in guarding Sun center Brionna Jones and often collapsed on Thomas, forcing rushed passes and leading to multiple turnovers. By halftime, Connecticut had already given up 12 points off seven turnovers.
Coach Stephanie White pointed to a lack of intensity during key stretches.
“Throughout the course of the game, particularly in the second and third quarter, we allowed them to kind of get the ball wherever they wanted to, allowed them to pass the ball around the perimeter,” White said. “We weren't disruptive. We weren't aggressive in our switches.”
Despite the Sun mounting a comeback in the fourth quarter, highlighted by an 11-0 run that tied the game, they couldn’t maintain the momentum. Collier came alive in the final minutes, blocking a shot by Thomas and setting up Carleton for the game-winner.
Looking ahead, the Sun must win their regular-season finale against Chicago to maintain their No. 3 playoff spot. Still, Thomas remains confident in her team.
“If you’ve watched us over the years, you see what we’ve done in playoffs, and nothing changes for us,” she said.
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