The Connecticut Sun looked cooked late in Game 5 of Thursday night’s WNBA semifinals.

Done. Kaput. Finished.

The Sun’s offense had gone off the rails during an awful third quarter. They were down nine points with over three minutes left in the game against a Chicago Sky team that had made their lives miserable both this season and last.

Two things about Connecticut, though — it’s got guts and it won’t quit.

The Sun put on the most outrageous finish in WNBA playoff history as they scored the game’s final 18 points — 18 — and beat the Sky on their home floor, 72-63, before 8,014 at Wintrust Arena.

“We believe in each other,” Connecticut’s Natisha Hiedeman said. “As you saw (after) the third quarter we picked it right back and won the game and now we going to the championship.

“Job not done yet.”

Third-seeded Connecticut will play at the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces Sky in Game 1 of the best-of-five WNBA Finals on Sunday. It’s the franchise’s fourth trip to the Finals and the second under head coach Curt Miller in four seasons.

Onto Las Vegas.

Connecticut trailed 58-48 after an eyesore of a third quarter. It shot just 25% (3 of 12) and had as many turnovers (eight) as it had points.

“Jeez,” DeWanna Bonner said about the eight turnovers, shaking her head.

The Sun trailed, 61-50, with 7 minutes, 2 seconds remaining in the game.

Connecticut was down 63-56 with 3:46 left when Bonner and Chicago’s Kahleah Copper got into a dustup after Copper fouled Bonner on a layup, stopping the game so that the officials could conduct a video review.

“We looked up (at the clock) when that happened and we was like, ‘there’s a lot of time left,’” Bonner said. “(Miller) got us fired up a little bit and we went on a run right there.”

It was the largest run to close out a playoff game in WNBA history.

Alyssa Thomas had 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Sun and Jonquel Jones had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Bonner added 15 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, Hiedeman had 14 points and 4 assists and Courtney Williams had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Copper scored a game-high 22 with 4 assists for the Sky. Emma Meesseman added 14 points and 6 rebounds.

It was just the fifth time in 16 meetings that Connecticut beat Chicago over two seasons. That included the Sky beating the then-top seeded Sun in four games in last year’s semifinals, and a four-game sweep during the regular season this year.

Connecticut pulled off one of the greatest wins in franchise history by once again making things messy defensively for Chicago.

The Sky shot a league-leading 48.1 percent during the regular season and were second in points per game (86.3).

Chicago shot 55.5% during its four regular season wins over the Sun.

The Sky missed 13 of 15 field goals (13.3%) in the fourth quarter and were outscored, 24-5.

Chicago finished shooting under 40% for the third time in the series (34.3%).

“I’m so excited for those 11 players in the locker room,” Miller said. “After losing some composure and (Chicago’s) disruption bothering us (in the third quarter), to respond in the fourth quarter and have a fourth quarter to hold that high-powered offense to five points, you just see how badly that group wants to keep playing.

“It’s all about those 11 (players).”

The Sky have been as resilient as any team in the league this season with the ability to play big during the big moments. They trailed Las Vegas by as much as 28 points in the second quarter of a June 21 game. They responded with the largest comeback in league history and a 104-95 victory.

Chicago missed its final eight shots and turned it over once on Thursday.

“I want to choose my words wisely because, you know, it was not intentional,” Sky Courtney Vandersloot said, “but maybe we stopped attacking (or) we’re scared to lose rather than trying to win. But I feel like we got good looks. We just didn’t knock them down.”

Bonner started the Sun’s wild rally with her three-point play with 3:46 remaining. Williams followed with a layup.

Thomas made two free throws moments later. Hiedeman tied it at 63 with a reverse layup with 2:24 left.

The 6-foot-6 Jones somehow got wide open by the rim with two minutes left, made a go-ahead layup and was fouled by Vandersloot. Jones made the free throw to put Connecticut ahead for good, 66-63, with 2 minutes to go.

Williams followed with a 17-foot jumper and Bonner added four free throws in the closing minute.

“We wanted this one,” Bonner said. “We wanted this one bad. We come up here (and) Chicago kicks our ass. They do. That’s just what it is. We lost to them like (six) times in a row. We couldn’t figure it out.

“I just feel damn good. That feels damn good.”

n.griffen@theday.com