UNCASVILLE — Usually, taking the high road is the civilized and morally correct thing to do.
But some actions cannot be ignored – and it’s in those times that a team shows what they’re made of.
The Connecticut Sun flexed their muscles against a gritty Chicago Sky team and clawed out a hard-fought, 82-80 victory on Friday.
Marina Mabrey led all scorers with a season-high 24 points, draining five threes for the Sun off the bench.
The former Sky guard checked into the game and was greeted by the Sun fans for the first time at the Mohegan Sun Arena since her acquisition at the trade deadline.
But Mabrey’s warm welcome was short-lived. Soon after checking into the game, Mabrey was fouled hard when driving to the hoop by Sky guard Chennedy Carter, attempting a dangerous swipe down on the ball. The foul left Mabrey on the floor shaken up and was quickly upgraded to a flagrant 1.
As much as she wanted to treat this game like any other, Carter’s foul instantly changed the temperature of the game.
“There’s levels to this s—,” Mabrey said after the game. “I’m not going to fight with that.”
Mabrey shook off the foul and returned to the court on a mission to score, posting 15 points in the first half alone.
Her offense fueled the Sun to a 10-point lead at halftime, but the Sun’s lack of offense came back to bite them in the third. Angel Reese scored nine of her 13 points in the quarter as the Sky erased the hosts’ advantage.
Entering the fourth with a narrow lead, the Sky’s size inside continued to bother the Sun’s offense. But with some clutch baskets from Mabrey and Alyssa Thomas down the stretch, the Sun were able to eke out the win.
“I don’t think we ever panic,” Thomas said. “At this point, we’re just used to (our team) starting slow. Once we see a shot go through, then it picks up for us.”
The Sun overcame sub-par offensive performances from DeWanna Bonner, DiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris, shooting a combined 6-for-35 from the field.
But Bonner did well to get herself to the free-throw line throughout the night, while Carrington and Harris played their part in shutting down Chicago’s offense and picking up stops in the closing minutes.
Sun coach Stephanie White praised her team for channeling their emotions into positive energy on the court.
“It’s natural, players are competitors,” White said. “Certainly, when you’re a player who is playing against your old team for the first time, there’s always going to be energy. When you’re playing against elite players, there’s always going to be energy and competitive fire – that’s what makes sports.
“We just have to continue to remind them that in certain moments to channel it in the right way.”
Thomas narrowly missed out on recording a triple-double, finishing the game with 12 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.
Carter led for the Sky with 19 points and four assists. Reese recorded her 21st double-double of the season and her second-straight performance with 20 rebounds, a career-high she had set in Phoenix on Aug. 18.
