DeWanna Bonner scored a game-high 22 points and the Connecticut Sun rallied from a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stop the Washington Mystics 84-77 on Friday in Uncasville, Conn.
DiJonai Carrington added 21 for Connecticut (2-0), and Alyssa Thomas contributed 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. The Sun shot 42.6 percent from the field while going just 2 of 20 on 3-pointers but forced 20 turnovers and outscored Washington 24-12 at the foul line.
Karlie Samuelson led the Mystics (0-2) with 18 points, while backup point guard Julie Vanloo added 12 points and eight assists. Shakira Austin contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.
Washington played all but six minutes without Brittney Sykes, who sprained her ankle in the first quarter and didn’t return. Vanloo filled in nicely and the Mystics led 62-56 with 8:18 left in the game after Austin delivered a 3-point play.
Connecticut turned the game around by scoring 15 unanswered points. Bonner capped the run with six points in a row, giving the Sun a 71-62 advantage with 4:51 left. After Washington got within 78-75 in the last minute, Bonner put the game away with a putback layup and two foul shots.
Washington made it clear from the start that Connecticut wouldn’t score as easily as it did during a 92-71 rout of Indiana in its season opener Tuesday. The Sun managed only four points in the first 4 1/2 minutes and trailed 20-18 at the end of the first quarter.
The Mystics established a 28-22 lead at the 6:35 mark of the second period as Stefanie Dolson nailed a 3-pointer but the Sun rattled off 12 straight points, taking their own six-point advantage on two foul shots by Carrington with 2:40 left.
Samuelson made a 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining to tie it 36-36 at the break.
The third quarter was nip-and-tuck until Washington got a pullup jumper from Samuelson in the final minute to grab a 56-52 edge going to the fourth.
–Field Level Media