The Connecticut Sun take on the Chicago Sky in the Semi-Final round of the WNBA Playoffs with the series set to tip off Sunday in Chicago. The two teams met last year in the playoffs, with Chicago advancing 3-1 in their best of 5 series.
The two teams played four times during the regular season, with the Sky winning all four contests. Three of the games were decided by four points or less however, meaning Connecticut was at least in most of the games and had a chance to win.
Chicago
Candace Parker plays well against the Sun; in three games this season, Parker is averaging 20.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. She’s shooting 56% from the field and 62% from beyond the arc.
Kahleah Copper, Emma Meessemna, Courtney Vandersloot, and Allie Quigley also have double figures against the Sky. Simply put, Chicago doesn’t struggle to score against Connecticut, averaging 90.7 points per game. They move the ball very well, making it hard for the Sun defense to lock in.
Connecticut
Alyssa Thomas led Connecticut against Chicago, scoring 18 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. Last year’s WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones pitched in with 14.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in their season series as wel. DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones, and Courtney Williams all scored over double digits.
Connecticut played well enough to win, but their defense hurt them against Chicago. They will need to play much better on the defensive end of the court if they hope to beat the Sky.
What The Sky Need To Do To Win
Chicago will need to continue to share the basketball to create open looks. They shot 55% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc against Connecticut this year, while dishing out 27 assists per game. With the unselfish players Chicago has on their roster, player movement, and ball movement will become crucial.
The Sky must take care of the ball and not let the Sun control the offensive boards. They also need to bring the same defensive intensity they showcased en route to their 2021 championship in this series as well.
What The Sun Need To Do To Win
Connecticut must play better defense as they can’t allow Chicago to score 90 points per game and shoot high percentages from the field. Likewise, the Sun must do a better job closing out on three-point shooters. With the size they have up front, it should be difficult for Chicago to score in the paint, but they’ve historically not done a great job of defending the 3pt line against the Sky.
The Sun must continue to hit the offensive boards and capitalize off second-chance points. Connecticut averaged almost 12 offensive rebounds per game against Chicago. With Connecticut’s size, they should look to play inside out. It should open Williams and Natisha Hiedeman for open looks if they can be successful inside.
It will be a hard-fought series that should go five games. However, the series could come down to what team plays the best defense late in the fourth quarter.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83
Photo: John Mac. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.