After going the entire season so far without a win at home, the Connecticut Sun were able to get over the hump to take down the Chicago Sky. On June 22, the Mohegan Sun crowd finally got to witness this team come out on top by 29 points. So, what was the big change?
A Look Back at the First Sun-Sky Matchup
This team already faced the Chicago Sky earlier this season on Friday, June 5. That matchup ended like most of the Sun’s matchups this season: a single-digit loss after keeping it close for the majority of the game.
The defeat itself couldn’t really be blamed on injuries, but it is important to note that Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards, who has started in all but one of her games played, was out on concussion protocol. Sun guard Kennedy Burke, who’s averaging almost 24 minutes on the court per game, was also out due to an illness.
There’s been so much focus on who should or shouldn’t be in the starting lineup for the Connecticut Sun. Why? That’s all that was being relied on, especially for this matchup. Despite the bench being deep, it wasn’t utilized effectively.
The Sun Have an Underratedly Deep Bench
The Sun are constantly toying with their rotations while trying to find the team’s best lineups. Out of the seven players that came off the bench during that first game against the Sky, only Sun forward Nell Angloma was on the court for more than 10 minutes.
Rather than an issue of talent, their sporadic substitutions have been an issue of trust. This team doesn’t perform well when only a few are stepping up to the plate – even if they’re really stepping up to the plate. This isn’t to undermine players in the starting lineup, especially because this game showcased the talent from key players.
Sun guard Saniya Rivers, Sun center Brittney Griner, and Sun forward Diamond Miller all scored in double digits this game. That being said, the point of a starting lineup is that it’s only one lineup. Three players from a team full of talent won’t take down teams at the professional level.
More Time Given
Within a few weeks, the team discovered this. Going from a five-point loss to a 29-point win doesn’t just happen without cause. One of the biggest differences that came from this game was the bench itself. Less time was taken up by one starting lineup, and it was certainly more evenly distributed.
There was not a single active player who didn’t score during this second time around. It was a wake-up call that talent isn’t the issue, but maybe their playing time. Five players scored in double digits this game, while Miller and Burke put up nine and eight.
“I like that we shared the load,” Head Coach Rachid Meziane said in a post-game press conference.
Everyone was delivering – because they were given the chance to.
Records on Records
What also spoke to this team’s talent is the number of times there was a personal achievement or record broken during this game alone. Rivers recorded the 500th point of her career, while Burke recorded her 1000th. The Sun center also posted up her first double-double of the season.
“That’s a testament to everybody wanting to get better,” Brittney Griner said post-game. “To want to lock in those film sessions where you know you’re walking in like, ‘This is going to be bad’, but you sit down, lock in, hear what it is, and then you go apply it on the court.”
On top of all of this, arguably the biggest moment of the night came from Griner’s show-stopping block that made her the all-time block leader across the league, recording her 878th.
“I’m excited to have [the record], and then have it with this group as well,” Griner said.
Basketball is never going to be played at its highest level if the same three or four players are expected to carry a team of 14, no matter how well those few are performing.
This is a team with depth, and it’s finally starting to shine through for the Sun.
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