It is a time-honored basketball cliche for good cause:
Protection wins championships.
The Connecticut Solar had the perfect protection within the WNBA this season and it confirmed Sunday once they annoyed a top-three offense — Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever — all through their playoff opener. As soon as the Solar discovered their offensive rhythm this sport turned a blowout.
The Solar gained 93-69 To take a 1-0 collection lead within the best-of-three. Connecticut can shut the collection out and hold Indiana from having one other dwelling sport with a win on Wednesday.
Caitlin Clark, welcome to playoff basketball — she had a bruise beneath her eye after being poked there within the first quarter, however added that is not why her shot was off. And it was off. Clark began 0-of-8 from 3, not hitting her first from past the arc till halfway by way of the third quarter, and he or she completed with 11 factors on 4-of-17 capturing, together with 2-of-13 from 3.
“I bought some actually attractiveness. I felt I had three fairly wide-open 3s within the first half that such as you normally make,” Clark stated postgame. “In order that’s powerful, however I felt like I battled and tried my finest.”
Credit score the Solar’s DeWanna Bonner and teammates for taking away Clark’s movement — and it wasn’t simply Clark. Your entire Fever group struggled to discover a rhythm towards the Solar, capturing 6-of-28 (21.4%) from 3 for the sport.
Taking a group out of their movement and making the sport somewhat ugly is what good defenses do. It is what Connecticut did Sunday.
Two different issues bought going for the Suns. One was their All-NBA two-way pressure Alyssa Thomas recording her fourth profession triple-double with 12 factors, 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
The opposite factor that modified the sport got here when Tyasha Harris needed to go away the sport within the first quarter after rolling her ankle on a closeout. That put extra strain on reserve Marina Maybrey to step up — and did she ever, scoring 27, essentially the most factors ever off the bench in a WNBA playoff sport.
The sport was shut early on. The Solar led after the primary quarter 23-20 largely due to the six offensive boards they grabbed, giving them loads of second-chance factors. Effectively, that and Bonner, who scored 10 within the first quarter together with a few 3s.
The sport began to show when the Solar went on a 9-0 run late within the first half and by the half, had stretched their lead out to eight, 46-38. Connecticut turned the tables on the Fever by working each likelihood they bought, which not solely bought buckets however led to fouls.
Within the third, Clark lastly began to discover a rhythm, however so did Connectict’s Mabrey — a mid-season commerce acquisition from Chicago — who had 11 factors within the quarter. The Solar pushed the lead out to fifteen by the top of the third. Then got here the fourth and the Fever appeared like what they have been, the much less skilled group in large moments. The Solar put their foot down on the gasoline and this turned a blowout.
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 21 factors, whereas Aliyah Boston confirmed off her improved ability on the brief roll and completed with 17 factors and 11 rebounds.
Connecticut’s protection might be there Wednesday for Recreation 2, if the Fever cannot discover a option to adapt and alter, their season might be over.
In different motion on the primary day of the WNBA playoffs:
New York 83, Atlanta 69: High seed New York began the sport 6-of-6 from the ground, raced out to a primary quarter 15-point lead and by no means appeared again towards an overmatched Atlanta squad of their first playoff sport within the collection.
Brianna Stewart had her standard monster sport with 20 factors and 10 rebounds, however it was rookie Leonie Fiebich who led New York with 21 factors.
Atlanta’s main scorer this season Rhyne Howard began the sport 1-of-9 from the ground, struggling towards the Liberty protection, however nonetheless completed with a team-high 14 factors. New York can shut out the collection at dwelling in Recreation 2.
