In the season’s final game for both teams, the Sun took a 90-83 win against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
This wasn’t your average final game, as the Sun and Lynx had plenty on the line for today’s matchup.
For the Sun, maintaining dominance at home keeps their momentum going into the playoffs. While the Lynx were trying to sneak into the postseason with a win while also dealing with the deep emotions of the final WNBA game for Lynx and league legend Sylvia Fowles.
Natisha Hiedeman and Brionna Jones scored 15 points each for the Sun. Jonquel Jones scored 12 points and Courtney Williams had 10. Alyssa Thomas added seven rebounds and five assists.
The Sun led 78-62 with 7:08 remaining before Minnesota went on a 14-2 run during which Fowles and Aerial Powers scored five points each.
Clinging to a 80-76 lead, Thomas hit a jumper in the lane for Connecticut. A 15-foot jumper from Williams, setup by a Thomas rebound, gave the Sun breathing room to seal the deal.
Throughout her 15-year long WNBA career, six with the Chicago Sky and seven with the Lynx, Fowles won two championships during her time in Minnesota.
She is the only player to lead two franchises (Minnesota and Chicago) in career rebounding and she is the only WNBA player to reach 6,000 career rebounds (6,006 total). Fowles checked out of the game for the last time to a long standing ovation from the Sun home crowd, and hugged her coaches and teammates.
Fowles, the 2017 league MVP and four-time defensive player of the year, had her league-best 192 career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. The eight-time All-Star is definitely a legend in the game.
What’s Next
The Connecticut Sun were already assured of the No. 3 playoff spot and will open at home against No. 6 Dallas on Thursday. Minnesota missed the playoffs.
Elijah Hamilton is on Twitter @elijah_ham27
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