Connecticut Sun wins 73-70 against Minnesota Lynx in first semifinal game

MINNEAPOLIS – Marina Mabrey scored 20 points and Alyssa Thomas added 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and the Connecticut Sun defeated the Minnesota Lynx 73-70 in Game 1 of their semifinal series on Sunday night.

DiJonai Carrington had 13 points and DeWanna Bonner had 10 points and 11 boards for the Sun.

Napheesa Collierwho averaged 40 points first round of the playoffsled Minnesota with 19 points and nine rebounds. Bridget Carleton scored 17 and Kayla McBride added 12.

Game 2 of the best-of-5 series will be played on Tuesday in Minneapolis.

In their first-round win over Phoenix, the Lynx shot 50% from the floor and 40% from beyond the arc, reaching the 100-point mark in both games.

It was a different story against the Sun, who had the stingiest defense in the league this season. Minnesota shot just 41.5% from the field and made 5 of 20 3-point attempts.

Mabrey opened the fourth period with her sixth three-pointer of the night, and Carrington scored on a putback to tie the game at 62 with seven minutes to play. Bonner hit a third-down corner and added a transition layup as the Sun took a three-point lead.

After holding the Lynx without a basket for more than three minutes, Collier's driving layup cut the Sun's lead to 71-70 with 33.9 seconds left.

However, Thomas hit a 15-foot jumper with 11.7 seconds left and after a disjointed final possession, Collier's desperate 3-pointer failed.

The Lynx trailed by four early in the third quarter when McBride hit a three-pointer and a long jumper on consecutive possessions to wipe out the deficit. Myisha Hines-Allen made it 57-0 in the final minute of the quarter and scored after a baseline drive. After making a stop on the other end, Williams hit a three-pointer to give Minnesota a 62-57 lead after three quarters.

Connecticut used a 9-0 run late in the first quarter to take a 23-14 lead. Carrington sparked the rally by converting a turnover into a breakaway layup and hitting a corner 3 the next time he was on the court.

Minnesota fought back in the second quarter as Williams' steal and fast-break assist to McBride sparked a 15-0 lead that gave the Lynx a 35-29 lead. Carleton hit a pair of three-pointers and Alanna Smith converted a three-pointer within four minutes, which Mabrey snagged with a three-pointer from the wing.

Mabrey's basket sparked a 13-2 run that ended with another Mabrey three-pointer as the Sun took a 42-38 lead into halftime.