Entering the WNBA season, there used to be rather a complete lot of talk about the Chicago Sky, the Las Vegas Aces, and the New York Liberty, nonetheless very little buzz across the Connecticut Solar. 5 video games in, and the Solar are off to the next originate than any varied crew in the league.
The Solar are 5-0 and are the one undefeated crew left in the W. It’s an improbable feat desirous about Vegas gave six groups better odds to hold the championship this season. Right here’s night-and-day compared to final year, when the crew began 0-5, and done below .500 at 10-12. Nonetheless with the Solar returning over half of their roster from 2020, what’s in actuality changed? Successfully, rather of every little thing.
Connecticut is dominating the league on each and every ends of the bottom, led by two stars who mix size, taking pictures, and energy. Right here’s how the Solar possess gotten off to the sort of scorching originate, and why the crew is on the complete an accurate contender for a championship this season.
DeWanna Bonner is taking pictures better than ever
DeWanna Bonner has been off to a worthy originate. She is sixth in the league in scoring, averaging 19.4 a game, and can also be seventh in the league in three-point share. In her 12th season in the WNBA, the 33-year-veteran has unlocked novel parts of her game that has helped gasoline the Solar’s scorching originate.
Bonner has by no procedure been is known as a shooter. The 6’4 forward made correct 27 three-pointers final season at a 25.2 p.c clip. Even as Bonner hit a occupation-most productive 55 three-pointers in 2018 with the Phoenix Mercury, she only made them at a 31.3 p.c clip.
This season, she’s already knocked down 14 triples in five video games at a 56 p.c clip.
Bonner played a gigantic feature in the Solar’s upset hold over a Las Vegas Aces crew predicted by many to hold their first championship this season after being runner-americalast year and not utilizing a complete lot of key items, together with star gigantic Liz Cambage. Bonner ended the night with 22 aspects and related on a gigantic three that helped to place the sport away.
Overall she’s been taking half in worthy basketball and stepping up as a veteran leader for the Solar.
Jonquel Jones is inspire, and she’s a double-double machine
Jones neglected final season after she opted out because of the concerns over the pandemic. Nonetheless this season, she is inspire and taking half in some of her most productive basketball, averaging a double-double of 18.4 aspects and 10.8 rebounds. She is 2d in the league in rebounds per game.
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Jones has all the time been a worthy interior scorer, nonetheless she’s also been on fire as a shooter this year. The 6’6 gigantic has hit 50 p.c of her threes up to now, together with going 3-for-3 from deep in opposition to Indiana.
It’s evident the Solar neglected their 6’6 heart. Yes, she’s putting up worthy numbers, nonetheless she’s also taking half in the most minutes she’s played all thru her five seasons with the crew by averaging correct below 30 minutes per game.
The Solar are blitzing the league in so many categories
Even with DeWanna Bonner and Jonquel Jones performing at a high stage, they’re no longer solely accountable for the Solar’s success. Jasmine Thomas has supplied toughness and protection, whereas Brionna Jones has given the crew an additional scoring punch. They wants to be even better when Briann January returns from an ankle hurt.
The crew as a complete is performing exceptionally well and is leading the league in a complete lot of stats.
- The Solar irascible No. 1 in the league in offensive rating at 107.4 aspects per 100 possessions.
- The Solar irascible No. 2 in defensive rating at 91.0
- The Solar possess a gain rating of +16.4 that is larger than twice as gigantic because the next most productive crew in the league. The Aces are 2d in gain rating at +7.8.
- The Solar possess a 59.3 rebounding share that is most productive in the league, and also lead the league in offensive rebound share.
It is a long way early in the season, nonetheless it is most likely you’ll maybe be in a plan to’t thunder that the Solar are on a scorching rush that is inclined to be onerous to forestall desirous about how dominant they’ve been to this point. This would possibly per chance occasionally maybe well be attention-grabbing to ogle how this crew indirectly stacks up to the 2019 crew that lost to the Washington Mystics in the WNBA Finals.
