Alyssa Thomas labeled the Connecticut Sun a "dangerous team" entering the 2023 WNBA playoffs. Now, the Sun finds itself dangerously close to a first-round exit.
After routing the Minnesota Lynx 90-60 in Game 1 of the teams' first-round playoff series, Connecticut suffered an 82-75 loss in Sunday's Game 2 at Mohegan Sun Arena, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 in Minnesota on Wednesday night.
The stakes are high for both sides: The Lynx are seeking their first playoff series win since 2017 after becoming just the second team in WNBA history to reach the postseason after starting the regular season 0-6 or worse. The Sun, meanwhile, is looking to advance to the second round for the seventh consecutive year and avoid falling short of Round 2 for the first time since 2016.
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The momentum may be on Minnesota's side entering Wednesday's game at Target Center, but Connecticut has been here before: Just last year, the Sun beat the Dallas Wings on the road in a first-round Game 3 to advance to the next round, then went on to the WNBA Finals.
Thomas, who racked up 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Sun in Sunday's loss, seems determined to have her team ready to play Wednesday night.
"I think the biggest thing for us is not letting what happened today [happen again]," Thomas said after Game 2, via ESPN's Alexa Philippou. "We didn't come out ready to play. We knew what was at stake. And now unfortunately we've got to go play on their home court, which is a tough thing to do."
The good news for Connecticut? It's been an excellent road team in 2023. The Sun went 14-6 away from Mohegan Sun Arena in 2023 -- third-best in the WNBA -- and won both of their road matchups with the Lynx, including an 89-68 blowout on June 22.
To replicate that result Wednesday, the Sun will need to shore up its defense, specifically by limiting Lynx duo Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride, who both tallied playoff career highs in Game 2 with 26 and 28 points, respectively. Connecticut was 27-2 this season when allowing 84 points or fewer and 0-11 when allowing 85-plus points.
On offense, Thomas and DeWanna Bonner (24 points in Game 2) will be expected to shoulder the scoring load, but the Sun could use secondary scoring from the likes of Rebecca Allen and Tiffany Hayes, who combined for just 16 points in Game 2 after pouring in 29 total points in Game 1.
Tip-off for Wednesday's decisive Game 3 is set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.