The Connecticut Sun were able to win Game 1 of their WNBA semifinal series by using defense and rebounding to make the game ugly against the defending champion Chicago Sky.

Chicago cleaned up nicely in Game 2 on Wednesday night.

The Sky took a lead just 1 minute, 34 seconds in the game and never looked back as they downed Connecticut 85-77 to tie the best-of-five series before 8,311 at Wintrust Arena.

“We were not aggressive enough (last game),” Chicago’s Emma Meesseman said. “We’ve been talking about creating our own reality and making others live it.”

Sun Natisha Hiedeman said, “They were getting everything that they wanted. We didn’t come out with the same energy.”

The series moves east to Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday for Game 3 (1 p.m., ESPN2).

Game 4 is at the same site on Tuesday, Sept. 6, at a time to be announced.

The Sun’s defense bothered Chicago in Game 1 on Sunday in their 68-63 win.

It was the fewest points the Sky had scored in a game this year (they averaged 86.3 ppg during the regular season, second in the league). They also shot 35.3% after leading the league in that category (48.1%).

Shooting (50.8%) and scoring weren’t an issue for Chicago in Game 2. It led by as much as 61-41 with 2:05 left in the third quarter.

“I shared with the team after the game that obviously, with two really talented teams, ultimately it comes down to who imposes their will with their style of play,” Connecticut head coach Curt Miller said. “I thought we imposed our will and got the game messy in Game 1.

“Today I thought (the Sky) did a really nice job of getting the game (to) the style of play that they’re very successful at. Free-flowing, back-cutting, a lot of cutting. It’s pretty and they (got) it going.”

All five Chicago starters scored in double figures, led by Candace Parker (22 points, four assists, four rebounds, three blocks). Meesseman added 14 points and seven rebounds, Courtney Vandersloot had 10 points and eight assists and Allie Quigley scored 13.

“It’s just getting back to ourselves,” Sky coach James Wade said. “That’s what we’ve done all year and I guess the way they played us the first game, we weren’t really ready for it. This game we were.”

Jonquel Jones had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Sun and Hiedeman scored 14. No one else on the team scored in double figures.

DeWanna Bonner, who scored a team-high 15 for Connecticut in Game 1, missed all six of her field goals and scored two.

Fellow starter Courtney Williams missed 7 of 10 shots and scored six.

Chicago started the second quarter with a 24-14 lead and continued to build on it. It went on a 15-2 run with over five minutes remaining in the half, including scoring 11 unanswered points.

Parker started the run with a nine-foot turnaround fadeaway jumper, Vandersloot made a layup and Parker followed with a long 3 and a 15-foot turnaround jumper. Azura Stevens added a putback as the Sky went ahead 41-24.

Williams made a 14-foot runner on the other end to momentarily break up the Chicago’s run.

Vandersloot responded seconds later with two free throws and followed with a backdoor cut and converted Parker’s interior pass into a layup to give the Sky a 45-26 lead with 2:08 left in the half.

“When we’re moving the ball like that, and when we’re moving with a purpose, not just to be moving, we’re a special team,” Wade said. “We know that (the Sun are) a physical team but they can’t be everywhere.”

Chicago led 47-32 in the first half and shot a robust 61.3%. The Sun couldn’t come close to that efficiency, shooting 38.9%.

Connecticut opened the second half missing its first five shots and turning it over twice.

Meesseman’s 19-foot jumper pushed Chicago’s lead to 61-41.

The game got chippy at times with technical fouls being called on Chicago’s Kahleah Copper as well as Jones and Hiedeman.

“(The Sky) got the game the way they needed it tonight,” Miller said. “It’s now a three game series with two games in Connecticut, so it feels good where we’re at.

“(I’m) just disappointed that we couldn’t make it a little messier.”

n.griffen@theday.com