The Connecticut Sun opened the 2023 WNBA season with a 70-61 road win over the Indiana Fever. It was a low-scoring, physical contest in which Connecticut rode significant advantages in rebounding and free throw shooting to victory.
Though an active offseason yielded significant roster turnover for the Sun — six of Connecticut’s 11 active players are in their first season with the team — it was a group of familiar faces that led them. Forward Alyssa Thomas wasted little time re-establishing herself as one of the WNBA’s most productive players, recording a massive stat line of 18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocked shots, while DeWanna Bonner led the team in scoring with 19 points (7-of-13 shooting). Center Brionna Jones chipped in with 13 points and nine rebounds in 26 foul-plagued minutes.
The Sun may have a new head coach in Stephanie White (who, incidentally, was last seen coaching in the WNBA with the Fever in 2016), but their formula for success in their 2023 opener remained largely the same. As a team, Connecticut outrebounded Indiana 43-35 and attempted 32 free throws to the Fever’s 19. Both teams struggled mightily from the field, with the Fever’s effective field goal percentage of 37.9 percent only slightly better than the…
