Sun have forced a Game 5 in Chicago

The Connecticut Sun found themselves in the exact same position they were last year. Down 2-1 against Chicago, facing semifinal elimination. This time they responded differently and took control of the game from the jump, starting out on a 12-2 run. They never looked back and beat Chicago.

Before the game, the tension and pressure placed upon Connecticut was clear. Another loss would mean a third straight semifinal defeat and a tough offseason where questions of how next year could be different would have to be answered. The team held a players-only meeting before the game to discuss the struggles from Game 3 and find a way to rally as a team and come out united and victorious in Game 4; they did just that.

This game was not just a victory and a sigh of relief for Sun fans — it was absolute domination. The Sun never trailed in this game, their largest lead was 27 points and they won every individual quarter. The Sun have dominated the boards all series long and Tuesday was more of the same; they won on the glass 39-23.

It was a near-perfect game from Connecticut and DeWanna Bonner led the charge with 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Guard play from Connecticut has been inconsistent, but Courtney Williams came through with her best performance of the series, scoring 19 points to go along with four rebounds, and three assists. Bonner playing well is just another day at the office, but if Williams plays at this level, it makes the Sun tough to beat.

Brionna Jones did what she usually does off the bench. The Sixth Woman of the Year had 11 points and six boards in her 21 minutes of play. With the game always being in his team’s control, Curt Miller loosened up the rotation a bit, and we saw more minutes for DiJonai Carrington and Joyner Homes. Carrington had the standout game from this duo, scoring 12 points in her 20 minutes of play. It was good to see the bench being utilized more and some Sun starters getting a couple of extra minutes of rest. They’ll need every bit of it as they head to Chicago for Game 5.

This is it. Game 5 winner-talk-all matchup in Chicago on Thursday with a shot at advancing to the WNBA Finals and facing off against the Las Vegas Aces. If the Sun are to advance to their second WNBA Finals appearance in four years, they’ll need to replicate as much from this Game 4 performance as they can. That means dominating the glass, excellent decision-making from Williams, Jonquel Jones playing near her MVP-caliber ability, and coming out with the same intensity they started with. If they execute on all these points, they’ll give themselves the best chance to come out on top Thursday evening.