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WNBA semifinals: Can Sun solve Sky in 2021 rematch?

DeWanna Bonner and the Sun have not beaten the Sky yet this season. (Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Connecticut Sun have advanced to the WNBA semifinals four seasons in a row – and made the finals in 2019 – but have yet to put it all together.

Over that stretch, their roster has stayed largely the same. Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, Natisha Hiedeman and Brionna Jones have been on the team every year. DeWanna Bonner was added in 2020, and Courtney Williams returned this season after departing in a 2020 trade to Atlanta.

Last season represented perhaps the biggest blow to the Sun’s title aspirations. They earned a No. 1 seed but were upset by the No. 5 Sky, who went on to win the championship. Now, the tables are turned, and No. 3 seed Connecticut has a shot at upsetting No. 2 seed Chicago to earn a place in the finals.

“We are back where we want to be,” Sun coach Curt Miller said of the upcoming series. “I’m proud that we are going to our fourth-straight semifinal. We’ve had incredible success in the regular-season, but this group wants to take another step. And there is not one person that is going to pick us to beat Chicago.”

Miller, who said his team is going to harness an underdog mentality, is right in thinking Chicago is going to be a heavy favorite.

The Sky not only topped the Sun in the previous playoffs, but they also went 4-0 against Connecticut this season. Still, the games have been close, with Chicago winning by an average of 4.5 points each time.

Here’s a look back at those contests:

June 12: Sky 83, Sun 79

In the offseason, James Wade, who was named the WNBA’s Executive of the Year, signed Emma Meesseman and Rebekah Gardner. They both proved fruitful additions in Chicago’s first game against the Sun this season. Meesseman had 26 points on an efficient 11-for-14 shooting, with five rebounds and four assists. Gardner came off the bench to contribute 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 17 minutes of play.

For the Sun, Bonner led the starters with 18 points, and Brionna Jones tallied 20 points off the bench on her way to a season in which she quickly became a favorite for Sixth Player of the Year.

Statistically, the teams were relatively even – Connecticut even held a rebounding advantage – but the difference came at the free-throw line. The Sun went 5-for-9, while Chicago finished 15-for-17.

June 29: Sky 91, Sun 83

The Sun don’t shoot many 3-pointers – they rank 11th in the league – but they are generally efficient in those attempts. Their 35.4% shooting from beyond the arc ranks third in the WNBA.

In this game, though, that wasn’t the case, as they went 6-for-19 (31.6%) from the 3-point line. Chicago went 10-for-20 from long range, shooting 50%.

This game was the most lopsided of the four regular-season wins for Chicago, yet the Sky played sloppily, turning the ball over 24 times.

July 31: Sky 95, Sun 92 (OT)

The Sky managed to secure a victory even without Candace Parker, who was out with an illness, thanks to a balanced effort.

Kahleah Copper led with 27 points and Courtney Vandersloot had a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists. Allie Quigley finished with 13 points, and Azurá Stevens and Meesseman added 12 and 10, respectively.

The Sun once again struggled from long range, shooting just 26.7% and making just four 3-pointers. But they also outrebounded Chicago 41-32, and held a small turnover advantage, though neither team took care of the ball. The Sky coughed it up 20 times compared to Connecticut’s 17.

Aug. 7: Sky 94, Sun 91

Once again the Sun had more rebounds (34-26) and fewer turnovers (16-13), but once again, the Sky secured the victory – and with it, a franchise-record 25 wins.

Both teams had balanced scoring efforts, with Bonner’s 18 points leading the Sun and Vandersloot’s 20 propelling the Sky. Jonquel Jones recorded a double-double for Connecticut with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Parker did the same for Chicago. She finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds.

The Sky also shot the ball better than the Sun, making 57% of their attempts to Connecticut’s 46%.

Prediction: Chicago in 4

Those four games may have been close, but the outcomes are telling. Chicago managed to win in a variety of ways, and even once without Parker. Connecticut consistently outrebounded the Sky and forced more turnovers than they committed, but Chicago still secured victories every time. That tells us that Chicago is simply the better team.

The best-of-five WNBA semifinal series between the Sky and the Sun tips off at 8 p.m. ET Sunday.

USC’s Aaliyah Gayles Opens Up About Her Journey Back to Basketball

USC Basketball - Aaliyah Gayles

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate Aaliyah Gayles. Here are five things to know from our conversation with the redshirt freshman guard from Las Vegas.

#1 Aaliyah suffered from a near-death act of violence in 2022.

The incident taught her a lot about herself and the support around her. “[USC] Coach Lindsay [Gottlieb] was one of the first people to fly out there and come see me. That means a lot to me off the court.” 

#2 Her favorite USC memory is when she surprised her teammates after getting out of the hospital.

She left her walker at the door to show she was on the road to returning to the court. “That was my favorite memory because it was family. It was my first time being able to walk to you guys and see you practice.”

#3 There's a reason she wears #3.

#3 was her grandpa’s favorite number and a golden number in her life. Plus, AG3 has a nice ring to it. 

#4 She has a list of basketball GOAT’s:

Candace Parker, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and Cason Wallace.

#5 There have been many celebrity appearances at USC’s games over the years, especially this season.

Aaliyah’s favorites include Will Ferrell, Kehlani, and Saweetie. And she hopes Lil Durk will come to watch a game soon.

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Gotham, USWNT forward Midge Purce out with ACL tear

(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)

Midge Purce announced on Wednesday that she has torn her ACL. 

The Gotham FC and USWNT forward went down with the injury on Sunday during Gotham’s 1-0 win after tweaking it earlier in the game. Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amorós did not have any immediate updates following the match, with further evaluation revealing the tear. 

“It’s a reality I’m still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say,” Purce wrote in a statement on social media. “I’m heartbroken to no longer be available for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I’m rooting for you both all year long. 

“Though you may not see it, I’ll be doing everything I can to get back on the field.”

Purce is just the latest women's soccer star to tear her ACL, and joins USWNT teammate Mia Fishel in having torn her ACL in the last couple of months. Other notable players include Catarina Macario and Christen Press, with Macario only just returning to the USWNT lineup after tearing hers in 2022. 

International stars such as Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema and Leah Williamson have also suffered ACL tears. 

Purce’s injury caused Amorós to call out the international schedule, which has been a growing point of concern as more players fall victim to injuries and the playing schedule becomes more packed. Kansas City’s Debinha suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s opening game, while both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have yet to play for Gotham due to injuries picked up during the W Gold Cup. 

“We lost Midge during the game which for me is a bittersweet flavor,” Amorós told reporters after Sunday’s game. “By the way, it’s another player that came from the Gold Cup. Last week, it was Debinha. We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened.”

“We’re talking about protecting the players, [who shouldn’t] go to play an international competition after one week of preseason,” Amorós continued. “We’ve seen the consequences now. We’ve got Rose, Lynn, last week it was Debinha in Kansas [City] and now we have Midge. From my experience, the clubs are going to keep paying for that competition."

In her statement, Purce said that “so many friends, teammates and even players I’ve only ever competed against” reached out to offer support. 

“I am so blessed,” she wrote. “Your messages have meant so much to me throughout this process, you have consoled what, for a moment, felt inconsolable. Thank you for reminding me that our football world is not only full with incredibly talent but also, incredible kindness.”

Lauren Jackson included on Australia Olympics roster

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 01: Lauren Jackson of Australia celebrates with team mates after playing her final Opals game during the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 3rd place match between Canada and Australia at Sydney Superdome, on October 01, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Lauren Jackson has come out of retirement once again to compete for a spot on Australia’s Olympic roster. 

Jackson was included on the 26-player roster named by coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday that will take part in training camps, tours and games in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. The roster will eventually be whittled down to just 12 players selected from the 26 named on Tuesday.

Jackson helped Australia qualify for the Olympics with a win over Germany in February. After that, she announced her retirement, revealing that she struggled to spend so much time away from her two young children. 

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported that Jackson and the basketball federation had come to an agreement in which they would help cover costs for her children to travel with the team for training camps and the Olympics. 

She’s largely expected to make the Opals’ Olympic roster. 

"It's always an exciting time to announce an Olympic squad and I congratulate all the athletes," Opals coach Sandy Brondello said. "They all know what it means to play for Australia and they all want the opportunity to represent their country at an Olympics. Our squad is full of exceptional talent and they will make the decision to pick a final 12 very difficult."

At the 2022 FIBA World Cup, Jackson helped Australia win a bronze medal with 30 points against Canada. She had previously retired in 2016 due to knee injuries, but slowly made a return in a domestic Australian league the last few years.

Jackson has won four Olympic medals, including three consecutive silver medals starting with Sydney in 2000 when she was a teenager. 

First two rounds of NCAA tournament boast record attendance, viewership

(David K Purdy/Getty Images)

The first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament broke attendance and viewership records set just last year – and it wasn’t even close. 

The NCAA announced on Tuesday that attendance for the first two rounds of the tournament was more than 292,000 – up from last year’s record, when almost 232,000 fans attended the first two rounds.

Among the host sites, Iowa had the biggest crowds with nearly 29,000 fans packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first and second rounds. 

"We expected the historic success and quality of play and high level of competition from the regular season would carry through into March Madness. Our championship is again delivering," NCAA vice president of women's basketball Lynn Holzman said in a statement. "Record crowds, ratings, incredible performances and evolving storylines will continue to make the next two weeks a must-see for fans across the world."

And for those that couldn’t attend the sold-out Iowa games, they watched on television. Monday’s matchup between Iowa and West Virginia drew 4.9 million viewers, setting a record for a women’s D-I tournament game prior to the Final Four. 

It is also the third most watched tournament game in the last 20 years, behind last year’s national championship between LSU and Iowa (9.92 million) and Iowa’s Final Four win over South Carolina (5.6 million).

Iowa’s game against Holy Cross in the first round drew 3.23 million viewers. 

But it wasn’t just Iowa drawing big viewership. ESPN’s five games on Monday averaged 2.25 million viewers. UConn and Syracuse drew 2.05 million viewers while LSU and Middle Tennessee on ABC drew 2.01 million viewers on Sunday. 

The full, 16-game slate for the second round averaged 1.4 million viewers – a 121% increase from last year and the highest average ever for the second round.

The full tournament so far is averaging 812,000 viewers per game, a 108% increase from last year.

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