DeWanna Bonner made two free throws with 7.1 seconds left in overtime to help guide the Connecticut Sun to an 83-82 win over the visiting Minnesota Lynx on Thursday in Uncasville, Conn.
Bonner scored a team-high 20 points for the Sun (4-0). Brionna Jones added 19 points, six rebounds and five assists while Alyssa Thomas chipped in 18 points with seven rebounds and five assists.
Napheesa Collier led Minnesota with 31 points and 11 rebounds, while Courtney Williams scored 19 with seven rebounds and six assists. Kayla McBride added 13 points and Alanna Smith scored 10 for the Lynx (2-1).
In overtime, the Lynx led 75-74 with 2:14 remaining before Natisha Hiedeman’s jumper extended their lead to three. Williams followed with a layup, giving Minnesota a 79-74 advantage with 1:41 left.
Thomas’ floater and Rachel Banham’s triple tied the game at 79 for the Sun, before Collier’s free throw gave Minnesota a one-point lead with 36 seconds left.
Thomas then hit a mid-range jumper, but McBride answered with a 16-footer with 13.1 seconds left, giving the Lynx an 82-81 advantage.
Collier fouled Bonner on the next possession, and she hit both free throws, putting Connecticut up one with 7.1 seconds remaining.
McBride missed a last-second shot for the Lynx.
In a back-and-forth final minute of regulation, Collier tied the game at 70 with free throws before Thomas put the Sun ahead with a layup with 14 seconds left. Collier then converted a layup of her own, ultimately sending the game to overtime.
Minnesota fell behind by seven early in the third quarter but Collier’s layup cut the deficit to 45-42. Bonner’s triple extended Connecticut’s lead to six at the 4:20 mark.
The Lynx followed with a 9-0 run, stamped with Collier’s jumper with 1:37 remaining. Connecticut finished the third with buckets from Tiffany Mitchell and Thomas to take a 52-51 lead.
Trailing by five, McBride’s triple and Collier’s layup knotted the score at 63. Collier and Williams then each connected on mid-range jumpers to give Minnesota a 67-63 lead at the 4:16 mark.
Tyasha Harris responded with a 3-pointer for the Sun, but Williams’ free throw put Minnesota up 68-66 with 2:10 left.
Mitchell tied the game with a layup at the 1:43 mark and Jones’ knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Sun a 70-68 lead with 1:17 left.
The Sun led 37-35 at halftime thanks to Collier’s game-high 14 points.
–Field Level Media
