Rebecca Allen and DeWanna Bonner starred for the Connecticut Sun as they took a 1-0 series lead in the WNBA semifinals with a 78-63 win over the New York Liberty.
The duo led the team in scoring, combining for 38 points. Allen's 18 points were a personal playoff career high in her first semifinal appearance.
Allen was lights out from the field, shooting a remarkable 77.8 percent while hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers. Allen wasn't just helping out by scoring, either. On top of her seven rebounds, she was a monster on defense, logging two steals and two blocks.
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Bonner, who led the team in scoring in the regular season, also played a major role in Sunday's win. Scoring 20 points, Bonner had her hands over all elements of the game with seven rebounds, three blocks, and three steals.
The Liberty swept the Sun in the regular-season series, but that didn't matter to Bonner.
"When it's playoffs, it's zero-zero. They are an amazing team with a lot of talent, but we locked down," Bonner said.
After struggling in the first half, Bonner came alive in the second. She knew she had to find a way to continue to contribute.
"I'm going to be aggressive. If I'm not aggressive, then it doesn't work for my team, so whether I'm making or missing, I'm going to keep shooting that thing."
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It wasn't just Allen and Bonner who led to this physical Game 1 win as 5-foot-8 guard Natisha Hiedeman was a force on defense. She showcased this in a game-changing play, blocking the 6-foot-4 Breanna Stewart. In addition to that block, she was also responsible for 12 points, four assists, and two rebounds.
From top to bottom, the Sun are a serious contender to go all the way. They will need to remain hungry heading into Game 2 on Tuesday night.