CONNECTICUT – A defensive masterclass in the second half by the Connecticut Sun disrupted any sort of momentum the Phoenix Mercury had coming out of the second quarter.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Connecticut showed the world once again why it’s a force to be reckoned with. Simply put, it’s a well-oiled machine. Head coach Stephanie White has stressed the importance of putting players into specific roles and allowing them to grow in their own ways, and there’s no better example of that than Connecticut guard DiJonai Carrington. Not many players have seen the same upward trajectory that the 26-year-old has since being drafted in 2020, and her performance against Phoenix put her impact on full display.
“She’s really taking this season in her stride, she’s really building towards it,” Mercury wing Bec Allen said regarding Carrington following the game. “I think everyone that’s been around her has known that this is coming. I think her strength, the way that she plays hard. She crashed the boards, that was a problem for us against her today, boxing her out. I think she’s just one of those people who’s going to be a dog on the court. She’s having a great season.”
© Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Allen was part of the Sun last season, and admires the approach from the 26-year-old guard. Carrington helped spearhead the massive pendulum swing in the second half, being a disruptive force on the defensive end and slowing down Kahleah Copper following her 14-point first half.
Carrington deserves a large portion of the credit for Connecticut running away in the final 20 minutes, but so does the rest of the unit as a whole. The Sun have the league’s second-best defensive rating (92.7), and it was no surprise that coach White came out of halftime with proper adjustments.
Connecticut did a good job of staying home on Phoenix’s shooters and simultaneously sending help from the weak side at the right time. The league as a whole knows that the Mercury are a team that likes to make their money from 3-point land, and the Sun prioritized getting them out of their rhythm. Phoenix shot 7-for-25 from long-range in the contest, and Connecticut did a good job of not letting the opposition get into its offense.
Copper scored 14-points in the first-half largely due to the fact that she was able to beat her defenders and find goot looks at the rim. The second line of defense looked much more willing to help off of shooters, and force Copper to either take a contested layup, or make a tough pass to the perimeter. With Connecticut still staying home on Phoenix’s shooters in the process, those passes were oftentimes met with a defender rotating over and getting the steal. The Mercury turned the ball over 15 times in this game – seven of which came courtesy of Copper herself.
© Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
“I thought they came out [and] really were aggressive,” said Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts. “We didn’t really make an adjustment at halftime as far as our approach, and they set the tone. And we didn’t step up to that.”
“They’re known for [defense], that’s what they do,” Tibbetts added. “Our execution was not good, they got after us defensively and made it tough on us.”
Connecticut completes the season sweep on Phoenix, winning this matchup for the third time this season. The first time these two teams met was on May 28 – where Phoenix shot 1-for-27 from 3-point land and turned the ball over 20 times, on route to a 23-point loss. The second meeting came on July 1 – where Phoenix shot 3-of-17 (17.6%) from long-range despite only turning the ball over eight times. Simply put, the Mercury have had a tough time preparing for the style of basketball that the Sun play.
The Sun have consistently relied upon their second unit to step up when called upon to do so. Guards Tiffany Mitchell and Veronica Burton combined for 20-points against the Mercury on July 1, a large reason why the Sun were able to close out and win. Tonight, it was guard Rachel Banham who stepped up to the plate and was the difference maker in the second unit.
How many 3-pointers does that make?
Rachel Banham had the Ultra Premium Shot of the Game presented by @Casamigos pic.twitter.com/mW5bXXVI4u
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) July 14, 2024
The nine-year vet chipped in for 24-points off the bench on 8-for-11 shooting from 3. More impressively, Banham sets a WNBA record for most 3-pointers made off the bench, and ties the Sun single-game record.
“Banham had a hell of a game tonight,” said Mercury wing Sophie Cunningham. “I know she’s one hell of a shooter, she always has been. You’ve got to congratulate her.”
DeWanna Bonner tallied 17 points, while Brionna Jones scored 16 herself. Connecticut was overly consistent from top to bottom, and as the credit should go to the players for execution, everything all ties back to coach White. She’s been able to find players and insert them into specific roles where the unit can build a culture of consistency, so when players like Banham are called upon, they can be stars in those roles.
White is making a strong case to win Coach of the Year for the second season in a row, and this three-game series against Phoenix shows her worth.
"I think she has done a hell of a job, I have always been a big fan of her."
Our @LaCertosaSports asked Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller ) about Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White and the work she has done in the #WNBA.#ValleyTogether #WNBA #BringTheHeat pic.twitter.com/UTpyVPR6vN
— Burn City Mercury (@BurnCityMercury) July 14, 2024
“She’s done one hell of a job… I think she’s onto something,” said Cunningham. “When you can give these players who are not the mains or the stars the confidence [where] they can own their role and come into their role – when you need them and their number is called down the stretch, they’re going to be ready to go.”
The Olympic break couldn’t be coming at a better time for the Mercury, who have been struck by the injury bug as of late. Natasha Cloud (left knee), Brittney Griner (right hip), and Diana Taurasi (left lower leg) have each had nagging injuries that have put them out of action. The trio was questionable coming into this game, but all suited up to play.
Tibbetts feels as if his team wasn’t ready, and takes part of the blame for that.
“That’s on me to [having] our team ready. We were not ready to go,” said Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts. “We were a little bit disjointed, I’m not sure why… that was a step backwards for us for sure.”
One thing is for sure – this Olympic break could serve as a step forward for a Mercury team that has been cursed by injuries recently.
Next Games
Mercury: Away at Washington Mystics (6-17) | July 16 | 8:30 a.m. PT
Fever: Away at Minnesota Lynx (16-6) | July 14 | 1 p.m. PT
Fever cruise early, hold on to 95-86 victory over severely depleted Mercury
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Justin LaCertosa covers Phoenix Sports News for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @LaCertosaSports
