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UNCASVILLE, Connecticut (AP) – The WNBA semifinal playoffs are tied for one game each and the two could play all five games based on the historical and gritty performances so far.
Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury hosted a shooting clinic as they scored the most points in a regulation playoff game in 25 years of league history in a win over Las Vegas on Thursday night. Eight months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, Alyssa Thomas provided a spark to the Connecticut Sun in a victory over the Chicago Sky.
The two series are now tied at 1-1 and the game will move to Chicago and Phoenix for the next series of games scheduled for Sunday.
“We brought a different mindset to the game, an aggressiveness”, said Taurasi, who recorded a career-high 37 points in the 117-91 win. “That’s what these games boil down to. In game 1, they were the aggressors. They played more physically. Today we have done it and have maintained it for long periods of time.
Taurasi narrowly missed despite an ankle injury that forced her out of the last four games of the regular season and the playoff opener against New York. She had 10 of her 13 shots and had a career-high eight to 3 points.
His performance came shortly after Thomas collected 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and provided a defensive lift for the Sun to tie their streak with Chicago. Thomas’ match was all the more remarkable as she had returned two weeks earlier from a ruptured Achilles tendon she suffered in January. The 79-68 victory over Chicago was only his fourth comeback.
“You know, this is probably one of the hardest things I have ever experienced” Thomas has opened up about the injury she suffered in January while playing abroad. “There are a lot of difficult days. I’m a perfectionist and I’m so used to bouncing back. The days that weren’t good and I couldn’t get out of it or push myself were frustrating.
“You’re really starting from scratch just to relearn how to walk. It was a slow process, a difficult process. But you just have to celebrate the little things.
For Connecticut to continue its momentum, the Sun will have to try to contain the powerful Sky attack again. When Chicago has scored less than 80 points this season, the team has won just twice. In Game 1, a double-overtime thriller, the Sky won 101-95 as Courtney Vandersloot won the second triple-double in WNBA playoff history.
Some other information about the semi-finals:
TRAVEL ADVENTURES:
While the Mercury and Aces had no problem getting flights to Phoenix, the Sky and Sun had a tougher time. Connecticut coach Curt Miller said in his post-game press conference that his team will be split across three flights from two different airports to Chicago. The Sky had to get up at 3:30 a.m. and separate from three different airports to get home on Friday.
Miller said he made wacky travel arrangements so his big players didn’t have to be in the middle seats and were more comfortable on flights.
“I want you to hear that” he said. “That’s what this league is going through. This is what these extraordinary women experience, the best in the world at what they do.
ADVICE :
There won’t be at least one semifinal sweep for just the second time since the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2016. With the exception of 2018 where both semifinals lasted five games, one of the series was a three-game sweep. . … The Mercury’s 68 points in the first half of Game 2 was a WNBA playoff record. … Sixth WNBA Woman of the Year Kelsey Plum averages 25 points in the first two games of the series.
A “ROAD” HOME GAME
Game 3 of the Mercury-Aces series will be played at Arizona State because the normal Phoenix house is used by Disney on Ice. Arenas booked events well in advance and there was no way to know the Mercury would host a playoff game on Sunday.
The Mercury will play Home Game 4 on Wednesday night in a doubles schedule with the Phoenix Suns. The Suns face the Los Angeles Lakers in an exhibition game. The NBA game was originally slated to start at 7 p.m. local time, but will now start at 3 p.m. The WNBA game will switch at 7 a.m.
“There were a lot of moving parts and a number of groups including the NBA and WNBA, the Lakers and their local broadcast partner, and ESPN who had to work together to make this happen,” said Jason Rowley, President and CEO of Suns Legacy Partners, LLC. “Ultimately, all parties should be proud to be a part of this historic dual program. Personally, I’m looking forward to a Phoenix sweep!
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