The words don’t have to be spoken now. The Connecticut Sun core players have been through enough, been together long enough to communicate without that.
“We kind of can give each other a look,” said Shekinna Stricklen, after the Sun defeated Seattle 81-67 before 7,773 Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena, “and know that it’s time to go; we’ve got to pick it back up.”
The Sun turned the ball over nine times during the third quarter, allowing an 11-point lead to slip away. Sticklen’s turn-around jumper gave Connecticut a two-point edge going into the fourth.
“We got a little-laid back, made some turnovers,” Stricklen said, “but we’ve got that chemistry. We’ve been playing together a long time. We huddled up and looked at each other, like, ‘That’s not us.’ And we got it back going.”
The Sun (8-1), extending their winning streak to six, began the fourth quarter with a 16-4 run, sparked with four quick baskets from Alyssa Thomas, who finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and prevailed in the nationally televised matchup of WNBA conference leaders.
“That’s our fifth game in 11 days, fourth in eight,” Sun coach Curt Miller said, “never in the same location twice. We really grinded through that first nine games, so they’re sitting in that locker room as excited about their two days off as much as their win, I’m assuming. That was our most complete game.”
Seattle (5-4) has been competitive despite missing former UConn greats Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, out with injuries. Bird was in the building, as was Geno Auriemma, part of the ABC telecast. Natasha Howard scored 20 and Jewell Loyd 15 for the Storm.
“I know they’re without Bird and Stewart,” Miller said, “but that is a really difficult team to guard.”
The Storm contained Jonquel Jones for much of the game, double-teaming her, denying her the ball inside. Jones had two points in the first half and sat much of the third quarter with three fouls, but she made her presence felt, with deft passes as well as key shots, in the fourth to finish with 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes. Stricklen, 4-for-8 on 3-point attempts, scored 16, as 10 players scored for the Sun, their bench productive, particularly Kristine Anigwe, stepping in for Jones, with six points and three rebounds in 12 minutes.
“We came out kind of flat [in the third quarter],” Thomas said, “but it came back to doing what we did in the first half, playing defense and getting on a run. We’ve been together for four years now. We know how to play with each other. We know what type of shots, where people are going to be. It just makes it fun to be out there.”
Including last season’s 9-1 finish, the Sun have won 17 of their last 19 regular season games and a franchise-record 12 in a row at home.
“That’s unheard of in this league,” Miller said. “… This team has had success and failures together. You start that fourth quarter with your veteran group, the starters have to get you righted again, and that’s what happens when you let a group play together and build this synergy, build this chemistry. There is a quiet arrogance, confidence to them right now. But they also know we have room for growth.”
The winning streak, which began June 2, has including road games at Las Vegas, Atlanta and Friday at Minneapolis. With the quick turn-around, Miller was only able to prepare for Seattle with film work. The Sun will return to practice Wednesday for the home game vs. Atlanta June 21.
“I’m so happy for these next two days off that we have,” said Jones, who is averaging 16.1 points and 12 rebounds. “I’ve been feeling it. We know when it’s time to step it up. That’s the good thing about our team, and that shows that we’re ready to be a team that makes a long playoff run.”
Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com.
