With the first 14 games in the books for the Connecticut Sun’s “Sunset Season”, their hopes for a successful year continue to decline.
As of right now, the team is 2-13, with their most recent game an 85-75 loss to the Indiana Fever.
In the prior game, they had a brutal overtime loss to the Toronto Tempo. The OT loss was certainly not the first close game the Sun have seen all season. The game itself was the third time in a row that they’ve lost by single digits, following their tight games against the New York Liberty and the Chicago Sky.
Comparing and Contrasting
Although the Sun is seeing a pattern in coming up short throughout the season, there are some positives to take away. For example, when comparing their efforts between their first loss, 106-75 to the New York Liberty, and their second, 89-80 to the team, one can see significant improvement.
Since their first game, one of the unfortunate sides to the Sun’s final season in Connecticut has been injuries. While many might view this as a negative, the Sun are getting the opportunity to work with different team dynamics while utilizing different players.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa Is Stepping Up
With Brittney Griner out for the Sun’s second game against the Liberty due to a rib injury, center Olivia Nelson-Ododa stepped up to the plate. Her opportunity with a starting position was not one she took for granted, where she ended up scoring 15 points and shooting 100% from the field.
The center is certainly not new to this role, after being an essential player in the Sun’s starting lineup last season, when she started in 21 games.
This is just one example of the improvements we are seeing from certain players – but that’s the issue. There have been improvements only from individual players, not the collective. There’s no doubt that constant changes in team dynamics are not helping this group improve as a team.
“We’re just going to have to keep pushing through until we can get a win, and especially a win over a good team like that,” Nelson-Ododa said in a post-game press conference following their loss to the Liberty. Going into the game, the Liberty were sitting at a record of 7- 4.
“My first feeling now is we created a lot of good looks, and so we have to spend more time in the gym and work on our shooting ability,” Meziane said following the game.
Still Searching for Their Dynamic
This comes after a game where the team certainly improved on the defensive end. With that being said, no matter how well a team is doing a job, it simply doesn’t matter if they can’t hit from the other end of the floor.
Despite the season flying by, there is still much work to be done offensively. With more time comes a stronger dynamic. Because it is the Sun’s last season in Connecticut, there is no time to give up or get lazy. Rather, it is up to the team to fight to finish with a record filled with game performances the people of Connecticut deserve.
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