Sun beat Dream to clinch Commissioner's Cup berth
Mohegan — The Connecticut Sun made sure they’re going to get paid.
Briann January made sure of it.
January made some timely baskets and dogged All-Star Courtney Williams defensively as Connecticut beat the short-handed Atlanta Dream 84-72 Friday night before 2,286 at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Sun (13-6) clinched the Eastern Conference berth in the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup on Aug. 12 in Phoenix. Each player from the winning team earns in excess of $30,000 each, players on the losing team receive $10,000 each and the game's MVP gets an additional $5,000.
“We secured the bag tonight,” January said with a grin.
DeWanna Bonner said: “One goal down.”
The Sun will play the defending WNBA champion Seattle Storm in the Cup. Seattle earned the Western Conference berth when the Las Vegas Aces lost to the Minnesota Lynx late Friday night, 85-77.
The Storm would’ve clinched the berth had it beaten the Phoenix Mercury late Friday night. They lost, 85-77.
Seattle has beaten Connecticut in both meetings this season.
January was a big reason why the Sun won Friday night and have a nice payday ahead. She scored 11 points, including some key baskets late, and glued herself to Williams, who was playing her first game at Mohegan since being traded from the Sun in Feb. 2020.
Williams scored eight for the Dream (6-12). She was the league's 10th-leading scorer prior to Friday's games (17.4 ppg).
“That was the person we singled out in the locker room (after the game),” Connecticut head coach Curt Miller said about January. “(She) just was relentless at the defensive end trying to stay in place with Courtney. Only four made baskets tonight. We really limited her shot attempts. Bri January has done that to the outstanding two guards all year.”
Atlanta head coach Mike Peterson said, “Briann January is a great defender. She's also a physical defender and I thought she did a very good job of being physical with Courtney off the ball.”
Connecticut also received strong play from its All-Star front court of center Brionna Jones and forwards Jonquel Jones and Bonner.
Jonquel Jones had a game-high 24 points and 16 rebounds and Bonner had 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Brionna Jones added 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
“They’ve got the best, maybe the second-best, three-headed frontline in our league,” Peterson said. “We just weren’t able to control them. I thought our effort was good. Jonquel Jones can be un-guardable. People are making the argument that she’s the MVP, and Brionna Jones is having a fabulous year and is a load on the block. And DeWanna Bonner is one of the best players in our league.”
Cheyenne Parker led the Dream with 15 points, all of which she scored in the first half.
Atlanta was without starters Chennedy Carter and Tiffany Hayes. Hayes suffered a Grade 2 MCL tear in her right knee during a June 17 game against the Washington Mystics. She’s the team’s leading scorer (17.6 ppg).
It was the Dream’s first game since they indefinitely suspended Carter on Monday for “conduct detrimental to the team.” She’s the team’s third-leading scorer (14.2 ppg).
“I thought our effort was good,” Peterson said. “This team wasn't distracted. They just went and played.”
The Sun closed the third quarter with an 11-4 run to get some separation. Bonner and Kaila Charles started the run with back-to-back jumpers. January followed with an open 3 atop the arc to give Connecticut a 59-52 lead with 1 minute, 25 seconds left in the quarter.
Jonquel Jones finished the quarter with a cutting layup to put the Sun ahead 66-56.
Bonner and Jones started the fourth quarter by each making a 3-pointer to give Connecticut its largest lead, 72-57, with 8:32 remaining.
The Dream had one last run in them with Connecticut providing some help. The Sun turned it over on successive possessions, allowing Tianna Hawkins and Elizabeth Williams to score in transition and cut the Sun’s lead to 74-70 with 4:13 left.
Connecticut responded with an 8-0 run. January started and ended the run with jumpers to push it ahead 82-70 with 1:34 remaining.
“What was big for (January) tonight was she made big (offensive) plays throughout the game, but even more down the stretch,” Miller said. “(She had) a few great assists and then a couple of timely baskets at the end of the shot clock. Overall one of Bri’s best games of the year and we really needed it.”
• Connecticut honored former starters Shekinna Stricklen and Williams with a tribute video before the game. They had been Sun mainstays and helped the franchise both rebuild and reach the 2019 Final.
Stricklen started in four of her five seasons in Connecticut while Williams was a three-year starter.
Stricklen signed a free agent deal with Atlanta in February 2020 while Williams was traded there that same month at her request to be in her home state.
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The see a gallery of photos from the Sun win over Atlanta
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