Team Delle Donne Loses...

Here Comes the Sun!

Jonquel Jones scored 32 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, and the Sun took advantage of Delle Donne’s early injury exit on Tuesday to beat the Mystics, 99-87, and even the W.N.B.A Finals after two games.

“This was our goal, to steal a win on their floor,” Sun guard Jasmine Thomas said. “And now we get to go home and play two in a row.”

Alyssa Thomas added 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Courtney Williams had 22 points for the Sun, who dominated the paint after the 6-foot-5 Delle Donne departed in the first quarter with back spasms. The recently crowned league M.V.P., who averaged 19.5 points and 8.2 rebounds, will have an M.R.I. exam on Wednesday.

“She’s just had, kind of ongoing, late-in-the-season tightness,” Mystics Coach Mike Thibault said. “We’ve been able to treat it and it’s responded pretty well. But it’s the one nightmare I’ve had the last month, is seeing her lying on her back.”

Connecticut outrebounded Washington by 41-27 over all, and 17-6 on the offensive glass. Jones, who didn’t have an offensive board in the first game, had a W.N.B.A. Finals record nine.
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“J.J. was going crazy today,” Williams said. “I told her I felt like I could put up the ball from half court and she was going to look out for me and get the rebound.”

Alyssa Thomas has now played all 40 minutes of the series for Connecticut.

“She just is so important to us,” Coach Curt Miller said. “She anchors our defense.”

The best-of-five series shifts to Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena for Game 3 on Sunday afternoon.