DeWanna Bonner scored 19 points as the Connecticut Sun took control in the second quarter and stayed unbeaten with a 70-47 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night in Uncasville, Conn.
The Sun are off their first 6-0 start in franchise history and notched their most lopsided win of the season after winning their past four contests by a combined 16 points. Connecticut led for the final 27:09 and seized control by outscoring the Mercury 23-12 in the second period.
Bonner eclipsed 7,000 points for her career and made 7 of 11 shots against her former team. Connecticut led by as many as 26 and earned the win despite shooting 35.1 percent from the field and missing 19 of 24 3-point tries.
Brionna Jones added 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting and Alyssa Thomas contributed 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds after being ejected from Saturday’s win for a flagrant foul on Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese.
Natasha Cloud led Phoenix (3-3) with nine points and Kahleah Copper was held to seven on 2-of-11 shooting as the Mercury shot a dreadful 23.8 percent overall and misfired on 26 of 27 3-point tries. Former UConn star Diana Taurasi was held to six points, going just 2-for-14 from the field and missing all seven of her 3-point attempts.
The Sun survived shooting 30 percent to finish the first quarter with a 15-13 lead.
Phoenix tied the game on Sophie Cunningham’s layup before Connecticut ripped off a 19-1 run and opened up a 38-20 lead on a Thomas jumper with 2:18 left in the second quarter. The Sun settled for a 38-25 edge at halftime after Copper beat the buzzer with a layup.
After the Mercury scored on their first possession of the second half, the Sun continued to maintain control, and a layup by Jones upped the lead to 46-29 with 6:29 remaining in the third. The Sun took their first 20-point lead with 3:20 left when Rachel Banham hit a 3-pointer for a 51-31 margin, and they held a 53-35 advantage entering the fourth.
–Field Level Media
