Connecticut sun guard Tayshia Harris reacts after making a 3-point shot late in Game 4 against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) )
Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner have the same routine for every home game.
After filming and media duties, they go out to eat alone at a local restaurant, When Pigs Fly. Thomas orders an omelette and Bonner orders bacon and eggs.
Thomas has spent his entire WNBA career with the Sun since being drafted in 2014. Bonner has lived in Connecticut since 2020. The two built a franchise and a life together, reached the WNBA Finals in 2022, and got engaged in 2023.
“Connecticut feels like home,” Thomas said before the playoffs began.
But Thomas and Bonner realize that the basketball side of their lives could change once this season ends. The franchise they helped build is at a tipping point. Both players are now free agents, and Bonner, 37, is on the brink of retirement.
“I want to win. I’m old,” Bonner said Sunday with a laugh. “My timeline is very slim.”
Breonna Jones and DeJonai Carrington will also be free agents, so it’s unlikely the core of the team will remain together.
The Sun played like a team with something to lose on Sunday. Although they have been close for years, they still have title ambitions. That dream was at stake in Game 4, when the University of Connecticut faced elimination against the Lynx.
The Suns survived and defeated the Lynx 92-82 to force a Game 5.
“I was going to leave everything alone,” Bonner said. “This was do-or-die.”
Although the Suns trailed 50-43 at the half, Bonner said he had confidence in his team. They got the look they wanted and played hard, she said. Everything else will come.
“I don’t think there was a single person in that locker room who was ready to go their separate ways,” Bonner said. “We enjoy being together and we’ve been together for a long time. We just buckled down and said, ‘This is it.’ There are 20 minutes left. Let’s put everything out there and see what happens. ” ”
What happened was that Connecticut was down 49-32 in the second half.
Bonner continued his strong streak, scoring seven of his 18 points in the third quarter, and the rest of the Suns followed suit.
Ty Harris was Connecticut’s leading scorer with 20 points. She made 7 of 11 from the field, 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, and provided a much-needed lift from her 3-point shooting.
Harris injured his ankle in the first round against Indiana and did not play in Game 1 of the series. She did not play much in the last two games and did not record any points.
Marina Mabry started in Harris’ place after the injury, but coach Stephanie White said she didn’t know if it was the right time to put Harris back into the starting lineup. The Sun’s coaching staff discussed the decision all Saturday, but the official decision was not made until around midnight.
“I knew I needed to give her (Harris) more time,” White said. “It’s not easy coming back from an injury and coming off the bench and being in that position. It didn’t give her the best opportunity to succeed.”
The switch paid off, as Harris started attacking early and scored on a pull-up jumper with 7:29 left in the first quarter. She scored seven points in the first half and really heated up in the second half to help the Sun close out the game.
Harris made two of his four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to close out the game.
“My teammates give me confidence every day,” Harris said. “And my coaches are rooting for me, so whenever my number is called I’m ready to go out there and do what I need to do.”
Thomas also improved late in the game, scoring eight points in the fourth quarter and assisting on Harris’ two 3-pointers. She was two rebounds shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
“She steps up in important moments,” White said. “We put the ball in her hands a lot in the fourth quarter to coordinate our offense and she made plays for herself and for others. That’s what she does. Yo.”
The win means Connecticut’s title hopes are still there, but the Sun will have to finish the series in Minnesota. A win there would set them up for a final against Liberty, who eliminated the Aces early Sunday.
The Sun know it’s only going to get tougher from here, but things will change once the season is over. And, as Bonner said, they’re not ready to go their separate ways just yet.
