Liberty win sixth straight game, hand Sun first loss of season
The sun has set on Connecticut’s undefeated start to the 2024 season. In a rematch of last year’s WNBA semifinals, the New York Liberty won their fourth consecutive matchup against the Sun, this one a 82-75 win on the road at Mohegan Sun arena.
New York was led by **Jonquel Jones**, the former Connecticut MVP, who had 22 points, including nine in the fourth quarter as the Liberty outscored the Sun by 10 in the final period to earn the victory. Jones had a game-high four 3-pointers, clearing the paint for the New York guards, in particular **Sabrina Ionescu**.
Ionescu led all scorers with 24 points, using the threat of her jumper to drive at will into the lane and finish through contact. She also became the fastest player in WNBA history to 300 3-pointers.
Connecticut started the season 9-0, the seventh team in WNBA history to do so. All of the previous six have advanced to the finals. However, the Liberty are now winners of six in a row and claimed a key victory over the rival Sun for the Commissioner’s Cup qualifying.
New York has won all four of its cup group stage games and needs to only hold off winless Washington in its final contest to represent the East in the cup final and defend its crown from 2023.
Jones continues to torment her former team and was the best player on both ends of the floor. She had a versatile offensive attack, sprinkling in four 3-pointers and five buckets in the restricted area to go along with five assists. Her ability to space the floor allowed her to face up and find cutters, and that extra bit of playmaking was key for a Liberty offense missing starting point guard **Courtney Vandersloot**.
Jones also shut down Connecticut with her rim protection. The Sun average 22.8 free-throw attempts per game but were down to 17 on Saturday. They also took four fewer field goals in the restricted area than usual. Jones’ four blocks and her general shot deterrence at 6-foot-6 played a massive role in that shot distribution. Connecticut shot 40.8 percent from the field as a team, with the starting frontcourt of **DeWanna Bonner**, **Alyssa Thomas** and **Brionna Jones** making 38 percent of their looks. Even **DiJonai Carrington**, one of the league’s best finishers in transition, couldn’t find a way to score around Jones on the fast break.
The Liberty continue to own the 3-point battle between the two teams. The Sun had better spacing a year ago with **Rebecca Allen** in the starting five in place of the injured Bri Jones, along with **Tiffany Hayes**, but managed only four triples compared to nine for New York. Fittingly, it was a Jones 3 that gave the Liberty a four-point lead and put the nail in the coffin with 1:15 to play.
This felt like another semifinal game between the two teams, who treated the matchup with postseason intensity. Liberty coach **Sandy Brondello** and Sun coach **Steph White** essentially ran six-player rotations, with **Leonie Fiebich** and **Tiffany Mitchell** supplementing the starting lineups. The rest of the bench players combined for about 15 minutes total — for context, three second-unit players on the Sun average at least 14.5 minutes per game.
But with a burgeoning rivalry fueled by the Jones trade in the 2023 offseason, combined with the stakes of the Commissioner’s Cup, Connecticut and New York put together one of the best games of this young regular season. The Sun are still atop the league standings, but a cushy early schedule is coming to an end, and New York isn’t the only team equipped to chase them down.