Connecticut Sun W vs New York Liberty W

Connecticut stormed out of the gates, winning the first quarter 27-19. Leïla Lacan ran freely in transition as the Liberty failed to provide gap help and secondary rotations, and the Sun — missing Brittney Griner — looked determined to avoid the kind of embarrassment that followed a 35-point loss in their previous outing.

The Liberty were also shorthanded, playing without Sabrina Ionescu due to an ankle injury, and they looked disjointed early.

Then the second quarter happened.

New York won the frame 27-10, outscoring Connecticut by 17 behind a 15-0 run that spanned 5:58. Jonquel Jones took over, scoring 13 points in the quarter alone. Rebekah Gardner knocked down her first three-pointer since July 28. The Liberty took their first lead since 7:55 of the first quarter at 37-35 with 4:21 left in the half, and never trailed again.

Jones finished with a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 9-of-16 from the field.

New York could not fully put the Sun away after halftime. Connecticut trimmed the deficit to one point early in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for Johannes.

With the Sun rallying and the crowd at Mohegan Sun sensing an upset, Johannes produced the sequence of the game. She launched a 30-foot floater that somehow found nothing but net — the kind of shot only she attempts with confidence. The lead was back to four. Moments later, she hit a step-back three, added a layup, and threw a water-polo pass in transition that left the building buzzing.

Johannes finished 6-of-9 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point range, with five assists. Her fourth-quarter burst — eight points in the period — turned a nail-biter into a comfortable closing stretch.

"It was amazing to watch," Jones said of Johannes' performance, via SB Nation. "I could tell that she was locked in. I could kind of feel some of the things that she was going to do before she did it, but to see it happen in real time was amazing."

Jonquel Jones (NYL) — 23 points, 11 rebounds, 9-of-16 FG. A dominant first half set the tone, and she controlled the paint against a smaller Connecticut front line. In what may have been her final game at Mohegan Sun — where she began her WNBA career, won MVP, and reached her first Finals — Jones left her mark one last time.

"A lot of memories here, a lot of great people, the place where I started my career," Jones said. "I'm sad to see the Sun go, but excited to really see what things will turn into."

Marine Johannes (NYL) — 17 points, 5 assists, 6-of-9 FG, 5-of-8 3PT. The Wizard lived up to her nickname in the fourth quarter. Her creative shot-making and improvisational passing changed the game's energy when New York needed it most.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa (CON) — 21 points, 10 rebounds. The Sun centre posted a double-double and was a consistent interior presence, but lacked the supporting firepower to make it stand up against New York's depth.

Charlisse Leger-Walker (CON) — 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4-of-9 from three. The rookie guard kept Connecticut in the game with timely shooting, but the Sun's 10-point third quarter proved too deep a hole.

Player of the match: Jonquel Jones — Her 23-and-11 double-double in what was an emotionally charged return to her original home arena earned the nod, though Johannes' fourth-quarter heroics were the decisive factor.

The quarter-by-quarter splits tell the whole story. Connecticut's 27-19 first quarter suggested a team playing with desperation. New York's 27-10 second quarter was the most dominant frame of the game, with the Liberty flipping a 27-19 deficit into a 46-37 halftime lead through suffocating defence and Jones' unstoppable post play.

Fox Sports’ box score shows the Liberty shot just 3-of-12 from Breanna Stewart, who missed several layups and hooks she normally converts — a telling stat that underscores how reliant New York's offence was on Jones and Johannes to carry the scoring load with Ionescu out. Stewart's off night would have been fatal against stronger opposition.

New York's 12 turnovers were manageable, but their inability to build on the second-quarter margin in the second half kept Connecticut alive until Johannes' fourth-quarter flurry.

The Liberty (22-14) improved to 9-2 in their last 11 games and sit sixth in the WNBA standings. They are closer to climbing than falling, but the schedule does not let up: New York visits the Chicago Sky on Tuesday (18 August, 9:00 p.m. ET).

For the Sun (8-25), the loss deepens what has been a difficult season. With the franchise's relocation to Houston looming, the Connecticut era at Mohegan Sun is winding down. They have lost their last game by 35 and this one by seven — the fight was there, but the talent gap against a top-tier Liberty side was apparent.

The Liberty got a wake-up call in the first quarter and responded with their best quarter of basketball. Jones was dominant, Johannes was magical, and the rest was good enough. A concern: Stewart's 3-of-12 shooting and New York's post-halftime lull against an 8-25 opponent — both issues that sharper teams will exploit in the playoffs.