uncasville, connecticut –Connecticut Sun In the past two games (both losses to the Minnesota Lynx), Ty Harris played a combined 13 minutes and was held scoreless, but apparently hasn't played since returning from injury. He doesn't seem to be doing well. Harris, one of Connecticut's key players all season, sprained his ankle just four minutes into the game. WNBA He missed the next three games in the postseason, winning all of them. She returned on Tuesday but saw limited playing time, coming off the bench in Game 2 against Minnesota.
After back-to-back losses, the Sun fell into a 2-1 series hole and faced elimination against the Lynx. Head coach Stephanie White made it clear that she needed Harris ahead of a must-win Game 4. She returned to the starting lineup in place of Marina Mabry and was expected to contribute as she had throughout the year.
“We need her to play,” White said before the game. “We need her to take shots. We need her to be a shot maker. We need her to be a solid defender for us. So she He needs to be in the rotation.”
Harris answered. The 5-10 guard, one of Connecticut's top shooters all year, exploded for 20 points, 13 of which came in the second half. She shot 4-5 from beyond the arc and made half of Connecticut's eight total 3-pointers.
“She gave us another floor spacer, which allows AT to attack, opens up situations when Breezy is on the floor or block, and certainly makes life easier for DB and Marina as well. “It will be,” White said.
Stephanie White said after the game how Ty Harris made a huge difference in opening up the game.
“When Ty is on the floor and knocking down shots, we know we have a great chance to be successful. We're thankful that she bounced back and was great today.” pic.twitter.com/buHGhyCacX
— Noah Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) October 7, 2024
“When Ty is on the floor and knocking down shots, we know we have a great chance to be successful. We're thankful that she bounced back and was great today.”
Meanwhile, the Sun, who looked lethargic and unfocused in Game 3, won 92-82.
It took a team effort to turn things around. The University of Connecticut trailed by seven points in the first half, but fought back in the third quarter to outscore the Lynx 25-13.
After shooting just 2-10 in the first half, Alyssa Thomas bounced back with a 14-point performance in the second half, finishing the game with 18 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Bonner had his best performance of the postseason, scoring 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Dijonai Carrington added 15 points on 6-10 shooting and Marina Mabry added 10 points off the bench.
Ty Harris addresses the raucous Mohegan Sun crowd after his win.
“We forced it to Game 5, so we’re going to do it there.”
After his big 20-point performance, Ty Harris addressed the crowd at Mohegan Sun:
“We forced it to Game 5, so we’re going to do it there.” pic.twitter.com/gJoJ6fzIEp
— Noah Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) October 6, 2024
The series returns to Minneapolis, where the Lynx and Sun will meet in a decisive Game 5. The winner of that game advances to the WNBA Finals, which begins early Sunday and tips off Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at Barclays Center. , Liberty defeated the Aces 76-62 in Game 4, clinching a spot in the finals.
The elimination game at Target Center will definitely be a noisy environment, but Taiyo is ready for the challenge.
“They're great fans,” Bonner said of the Lynx fans waiting in Minneapolis. “They're championship fans. They've won multiple championships, so they're hungry for another championship. It's going to be crazy, but the first two games put us there. I think I've reached that point, so I know what that feels like and I'm ready to deal with it.”
