Sun aiming to use 'pack mentality' vs. Mystics (Jun 12, 2018)
The Connecticut Sun are 7-1 and have clearly gotten there on the strength of their balance.
"I think the biggest thing that Coach (Curt Miller) is trying to tell us is to have a pack mentality and I think that is what we have," Courtney Williams said after Saturday's home victory over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx.
"All of us are scorers, all of us can have a night. So, I think that's a big thing for our team."
The Sun host the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. They defeated the Mystics 88-64 in Washington as part of their 5-0 start.
Following a loss at Atlanta, they have bounced back with two straight wins and play at home Wednesday prior to a five-game road trip.
"This is a very big stretch for us," Miller said. "We will have a lot of home games down the stretch."
Led by Jasmine Thomas, the Sun have six players averaging between 14.0 and 10.3 points per game.
That, folks, is balance.
"I think it is a whole mentality that we've talked about, a 'we have to win as a pack mentality,' " Miller said. "We don't really have an alpha dog that a few teams have in the league, but we feel we're very deep and we have a balance and depth within our roster.
"We have equal shot distribution and balanced scoring throughout our team."
Williams scored 20 and Jasmine Thomas 18 in the victory over the Lynx before a boisterous crowd at the casino.
Thomas scored 25 points and was a plus-29 and Alex Bentley came off the bench with 15 points in Connecticut's win at Washington -- one of the stops on the coming trip.
The Mystics won their first four games but have lost their last three and four of their last five while trying to get through a series of injuries -- and illness, the latter to their star, Elena Delle-Donne.
They have been off since losing at home to Minnesota last Thursday and should benefit from the rest and chance to practice.
And Sunday, the team had a very special practice visitor, as the Capitals brought the Stanley Cup for a visit. The players posed for both individual and a team picture with the oldest trophy in sports.
Delle-Donne has played in five of the nine games, with her illness connected to her battle with Lyme disease.
"Because of issues with autoimmune stuff, I've just got to really listen to my body," she said recently. "Rest is the biggest thing.
"The worst part is you never know when it's going to come up."
