Alyssa Thomas helps Connecticut Sun win Game 1 over Minnesota Lynx in WNBA semifinals

MINNEAPOLIS — Alyssa Thomas bent over and let out a scream And marched to the sideline. With Napheesa Collier's 3-pointer missed, Thomas was finally able to relax and her emotions finally came out. In a game that seemed to come down to inches, it was Thomas who gave the Suns the cushion they needed, scoring Connecticut's last two points and then playing lockdown defense against Bridget Carleton – Minnesota's best hope for one game-winning 3rd

Thomas might have been one assist shy of a triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists), but The Engine gave the Sun a 73-70 win over the Lynx in Game 1.

The game was a back and forth affair, with neither team really gaining control for more than a few minutes at a time, and neither team was ever able to take a double-digit lead. The game more than lived up to its billing as a premier defensive game – a battle of the WNBA's two best defensive teams and four members of the first and second All-Defensive Teams, including the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Napheesa Collier.

Connecticut held Collier, who had set a WNBA record with 80 points in the first two playoff games, to 19 points. The Sun turned on Collier often, and although Minnesota did its best to isolate them in the post through mismatch screening actions, the Sun forced Collier to take as many shots off the field as he did on the field.

The engine doesn't stop working 🔥

Alyssa Thomas flipped the playoff switch and never looked back! Tonight she nearly posted another triple-double with 17 PTS, 9 REB and 10 AST to lead the Sun to a Game 1 win#WelcometoW | #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/1JRK8BLQub

– WNBA (@WNBA) September 30, 2024

“It was a team effort,” Thomas said. “When she came on this show she was hot. Really hot.”

Minnesota's strength lay in the Lynx's defensive discipline. They forced nine turnovers, tallied seven blocks and eight steals, and forced four shot clock violations while fouling Connecticut just 10 times. The Suns got to the free throw line just three times, giving Minnesota – which was losing the battle beyond the 3-point line – a fighting chance to keep the ball close by not giving up points when the clock wasn't running.

But despite that strong defense, the Lynx struggled to contain Marina Mabrey, who scored a game-high 20 points and hit six 3-pointers, including one that broke a four-minute scoreless stretch for the Sun in the second quarter. “I'm just trying to feel some of us going into a drought,” Mabrey said. “I choose my place and am there whenever they need me.”

On the other hand, the Lynx – who averaged 10 3-pointers per game this season – were unable to counterattack from distance. Minnesota hit just five 3-pointers, while Kayla McBride and Alanna Smith, two of the Lynx's biggest long-range threats, combined to make just 1 of 9 long-range shots. In addition, substitute Cecilia Zandalasini was not used shortly before the game. Reeve said the decision was precautionary, but the 44 percent 3-point shooter was also missed by the Lynx.

In the second and third quarters, Minnesota repeatedly showed that it looked like the Lynx could pull out a win at home, entering the fourth quarter with a five-point lead, which usually feels like a significant cushion in this matchup. But in the final quarter the Sun snapped and the Lynx went cold. Collier shot 3 of 5 from the floor (before she lifted “Hail Mary”) while the rest of her team shot 1 of 12 in the final 10 minutes.

“We had to be disruptive,” Connecticut coach Stephanie White said. “We had to try to force them to take uncomfortable shots and understand that they were going to take uncomfortable shots, and when they did, we didn’t let that get us down.”

After Sunday's win, the Sun will look to extend their lead in Game 2 on Tuesday night, but they know this game – which saw three games decided by a total of eight points in the regular season – is a game that will always be that way will be a fight. Stealing one on the road is impressive, but adding two wins and taking the series back to Connecticut for Game 3 would be monumental.

“It's a tough series. “It will continue to be a difficult series,” said Thomas. “For them it always depends on the wire.”

(Photo: David Berding / Getty Images)