Alyssa Thomas and Marina Mabrey lead Sun to victory over Fever in Game 1

UNCASVILLE, Connecticut – On May 14, the Connecticut Sun hosted No. 1 overall draft pick Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever for their 2024 season opener, winning comfortably by 21 points and enjoying a triple-double from star Alyssa Thomas.

More than four months later, similar successes occurred on Sunday in the first game of the first round of the playoffs: Connecticut took advantage of a strong fourth quarter and another triple-double from Thomas to win Game 1 93-69. It was Clark's WNBA playoff debut and the Fever franchise's first postseason game since 2016.

The result was the heaviest playoff loss in Fever history.

The Sun showed why they have the best defensive rating in the league by holding Clark – who finished fourth in the MVP voting earlier in the day – to 11 points on 4 of 17 shooting (2 of 13 three-pointers). Backcourt mate Kelsey Mitchell was the Fever's leading scorer with 21 points, but also struggled with three-point shooting (2 of 10).

Clark, who has scored more offensive points than any other player in the league this season, faced a different primary defender than he did in the regular-season series against the Sun — 6-foot-4 DeWanna Bonner. The projected Rookie of the Year winner made 2 of 12 contested shots, including 2 of 9 when Bonner was defending him.

Bonner helped the Sun on both ends, also scoring 22 points and dishing out five assists. Bonner's 16 points in the first half were the best of any scorer and allowed Connecticut to head to the locker room with a 46-38 lead.

“It was about having length, it was about giving us versatility in our pick-and-roll situations, giving us a different look,” Suns coach Stephanie White said of the decision to put Bonner on Clark. “This game is so much about comfort, it's about rhythm, it's about timing, it's about all of those things and how you can make an adjustment that disrupts some of that.”

After hitting 1 of 9 shots in the first half, Clark, along with Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, took the court earlier than usual to make some shots during the halftime show at the arena. But a few minutes into the third quarter, Clark slammed her hand twice on a chair on the Fever bench during a timeout, frustrated that she still couldn't sink her shot.

“My shot felt just right,” said Clark, who thought she had a pretty good look. “That's why it's so frustrating as a shooter when it feels so good but doesn't go in. That's the bummer about it.”

Clark scored eight points after the timeout to help the Fever close to a six-point deficit, but the Sun fought back and kept the score in double digits. Indiana was within striking distance the entire game until the Sun outscored them 25-12 in the fourth.

The Fever finished with a field goal percentage of 40.3% and converted only 6 of their 28 three-point attempts. The Sun also benefited from a 50-36 difference in points in the basket and 18-9 in fast break points.

“We were right there and I felt like we just played a crappy game,” Clark said.

Marina Mabrey, Connecticut's midseason addition, helped the Sun lead with 27 points – the most by a reserve player in WNBA postseason history. She scored 20 of her points in the second half, making 5 of 8 3-point attempts.

“She's been great for us,” said White, who is looking to lead the Suns to their first WNBA title. “She's going to continue to be great for us. We definitely jumped at the opportunity to get her because we thought she would help us over the hump.”

Thomas' triple-double (12 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds) ties her WNBA record (15 including the postseason) and is her fourth in the playoffs; the rest of the WNBA has two playoff triple-doubles total.

“I've been waiting for the playoffs all season, and that's why we're playing here,” Thomas said. “For us, this is just the beginning.”

“Our team honestly can't do without her,” Bonner said of Thomas. “We wouldn't be in this position every year. So I think she's just getting started… (the playoffs are) her time, every year.”

The Sun and Fever will face off in Game 2 on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. If Indiana forces a winner-takes-all Game 3, it would take place on Friday in Indianapolis.