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Message: [QUOTE="JoePgh, post: 4657850, member: 1131"] I never expected to be saying this, but after watching one Connecticut Sun game in person and two on TV, the Sun (to my amateur eyes) show every evidence of being a well-coached team at both ends of the floor, thanks in no small part to the UConn duo of Tiffany Hayes and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. The Sun are now 3-0, with two victories over the Washington Mystics, who were projected by ESPN to be the third best team in the WNBA this season. In both games against Washington, the Sun got down early (14-3 on Sunday and 10-3 today) and came back to win through strong 4th quarters. In tonight's game, all five Sun starters were in double figures in scoring, including Tiff with 13 points and 8 assists in 31 minutes. Liv had 15 minutes off the bench as the first big off the bench. She scored 8 points and had 2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Lauren Cox (who was generally considered better than Liv in college and was drafted much higher than Liv) sat on the Sun's bench. Cox has yet to see the floor in three games (OK, she got about 6 seconds of PT at the end of tonight's game). In that respect, Cox is in the same boat as Dijonae Carrington, who also has just those 6 seconds of PT in the first three games. That is a real surprise to me, considering how important she was last year in Curt Miller's lineup. To my eyes, the Sun are showing a lot of good things -- getting out on the fast break whenever they can, doing some pretty interior passes between Bri Jones and Alyssa Thomas in the paint, getting to the line a whole lot. The announcers mentioned that after two games, the Sun had been to the line 69 times, while the next highest number was 44 times. (However, the Sun haven't been very good at making free throws -- perhaps the biggest weakness that they have shown thus far.) On defense, they have been able to keep Washington's power front court of EDD and Shakira Austin somewhat under control -- they scored 27 and 14 in tonight's game, but that was the lion's share of the Mystics' offense. Liv is playing very well off the bench, much better than I remember her at UConn. She in particular has been getting fouled a lot, and making perhaps 50% of her free throws (oh well). I am glad that I renewed my season ticket for the Sun this year. Their next game is on Saturday against Stewie and Stef and the Barklay Center in Brooklyn. Now if only we can get the Lynx to play better ... [/QUOTE]

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