2022 WNBA Finals Game 3 Observations

For each game during the Finals, I will take notes of random things I observed or thought throughout the game and will post it either the day of or day after each game.  These are my notes regarding Game 3, which the Sun won 105-76 in a shocking matchup where Connecticut easily won a high scoring game.


1st Quarter

  • I wonder how A’ja Wilson getting the tough bucket will impact Connecticut to start the game.  It is easy to start to struggle psychologically
  • Now that Wilson has a steal I kind of hope I didn’t just answer my question
  • Connecticut has allowed good shooters to be open from deep on back-to-back plays.  While Vegas went 1-2, that is a horrible way to start the game
  • I really liked that cut by DeWanna Bonner off the Alyssa Thomas pass
  • Even though Connecticut is on a run, I don’t feel that their defense has gotten immensely better; they still have allowed multiple looks that are at least makeable for Vegas
  • I’ve always felt like Wilson was one of the best finishers of difficult shots in the league.  Ironically the other player I put in that category is Jonquel Jones
  • How on earth did DeWanna Bonner get wide open in the paint when she had the ball?  There was a screen set and Vegas is smaller but still it was weird
  • Dearica Hamby is someone who isn’t a good shooter so it feels like she would be safe to leave open, but she is so smart about what to do that you’ll pay
  • Bonner and Courtney Williams both look so comfortable and are hitting shots; that is when Connecticut’s offense is clicking
  • Geez, Connecticut is hitting everything this quarter!  I believe they’re currently shooting 80% with a minute left
  • I honestly am glad to hear that Kelsey Plum wasn’t hurt on that play.  When she was grabbing her arm, I was worried at first.  Even though I’m a Sun fan, I don’t want to see anyone injured
  • Wow, talk about an excellent end of the first quarter for Connecticut!  82% in the quarter and finished on a 25-4 run
  • A couple updates in records for WNBA Finals:  Connecticut set records for the most points in a first quarter and highest percentage in any quarter

2nd Quarter

  • I really am not a fan of late foul calls; there have been a few times this happen this game and I don’t like it.  I get they’re not going to call all of them, but still, the extra 2 seconds didn’t make it a foul
  • That block by Courtney Williams was such good defense.  Blocking someone while their driving in and you’re moving back with them is so difficult because it is so much easier to either commit a shooting foul or blocking foul.  That takes a really good idea of what positioning you need and precise hands
  • Since she’s not the best shooter, I like the way Thomas played Kiah Stokes and gave her a bit of extra room.  This way, it will be tougher for Stokes to get passed Thomas and allows Thomas a bit of extra room to create possession against a strong Stokes
  • Even though Williams fouled Plum, I loved the intensity of Williams to get back in time when she was kind of far away from her
  • You remember how I said I didn’t feel like Connecticut’s defense wasn’t improved too much?  I feel safe saying this is no longer true.  They’ve been forcing Vegas to have difficulties creating room by clogging several high scorers
  • I really like Connecticut having Jonquel Jones defend Stokes and instead using her roaming when she’s not guarding Wilson.  Vegas has several offensive threats that are best handled by double team
  • I hear one Connecticut fan heckling on repeat.  Aren’t New England fans just lovely?
  • Chelsea Gray is suddenly hitting her shots.  I guess Bonner really did well with not giving her good looks
  • Even though Jonquel Jones picked up foul number 3, I wouldn’t be annoyed about that or even feel like it would be a lock to take her out of the game
  • That was a nice heads-up steal by Thomas when Wilson bobbled the ball a tiny bit
  • Jackie Young is such a good shooter.  She isn’t as much of a star as some others, but you really don’t want her open either
  • That end of half run is massive for Vegas; now it’s down to an 11 point game from an 8-0 run ending Plum’s nice heave

3rd Quarter

  • There’s pretty much nothing you could do on that Bonner banked shot; that was a tough one for her to make
  • I like the idea of going at Jonquel Jones to try to get her into a lot of foul trouble
  • So Stokes might have missed that easy layup, but that’s not something to expect from her and is something lucky for Connecticut
  • I’m surprised they allowed Wilson to grab the ball at first on the tip; that’s a no-no
  • I’m not quite sure how Jonquel Jones shook off A’ja Wilson on that layup; was there a push there?
  • I remember consistently complaining about the announcers in the NBA Finals broadcast, but I’ve always loved this duo for the WNBA Finals.  The Ryan Ruocco-Rebecca Lobo has always been something I’ve loved listening to
  • Wow, had Bonner not had a hand on Plum’s back it would have been a perfect defensive play
  • It’s kind of funny how the year I decided to start writing these Finals observations post in a year where both U.S. major pro teams I root for are in the Finals.  Maybe it would be less stressful to write these if I wasn’t emotionally invested
  • Vegas has been much better offensively this quarter, but they haven’t been able to stop Connecticut.  I think Vegas has been better at finding the open player and attacking any matchup
  • Moments like these are why I argue Jonquel Jones is one of the best players in the WNBA.  She is such a skilled all-around player and is showing her scoring ability this quarter.  It is worth watching her fouls
  • I don’t feel like I’ve talked enough about how awesome of a game Wilson has had.  Feels kind of redundant to say but still she’s been great again
  • That was an exciting final few seconds to the quarter between a nice bucket, steal, and near half court heave
  • This has been interesting since it’s such a high scoring game.  I think Connecticut is trying to beat Vegas at their own game, but this quarter was a bit rough for them compared to the prior ones

4th Quarter

  • It feels so cliché to say something along the line of the steal and and-one bucket at the other end is how Connecticut needed to start, but there is truth to it
  • I loved the combination of defensive intensity and smart play to force Jackie Young to not be able to get off a good shot or find anyone to pass it to
  • Wow, I never would have guessed no triple-double in Finals history.  Congrats to Alyssa Thomas!
  • Yeah, I’d be pissed if I were with Vegas after Connecticut took 3 layup attempts in a row to make one.  I don’t blame Becky Hammon for calling a timeout
  • That was a nice heads-up play by Jackie Young to realize Courtney Williams was jumping right behind her and time up the shot accordingly
  • I’ve talked about the multiple passes before and again Connecticut nails it on the Jonquel Jones-Alyssa Thomas-Natasha Heideman
  • I didn’t realize Courtney Williams had 5 fouls.  That could be big down the stretch (no pun intended given the potential for that lineup…)
  • Connecticut was lucky that Stokes happened to be standing out of bounds after the blocked shot.  It was such a nice play by her and such bad luck for it to come back to her after she happened to land out of bounds
  • I might groan about Dijonai Carrington’s shot selection at times, but she is so smart about where to be, emphasized by getting open on the inbounds play
  • I literally wrote the previous note and then Carrington got the steal that resulted in a clear path foul
  • Jonquel Jones keeps getting such good possession in the paint.  Every time I’ve kept an eye on her when she got there, she ran right into the paint with ease
  • I can’t say I expected the benches to empty as soon as they did, but for Vegas with such a thin bench, it makes sense
  • Carrington is having such an amazing quarter and looks like she is having the time of her life.  I am totally here for it; she works so hard and is exciting to see this
  • If any team was going to reach 100 points, I would have guessed it would be Vegas and certainly not Connecticut.  What’s craziest is that if Vegas had played like this any other game this series, they would have won.  In this game they’re getting blown out
  • I can’t believe how many paint points Connecticut has.  64?  I knew they were dominating that end, but they’d only be losing by 12 points if that was their total score.

 

What did you think of this game?  Let me know in the comments!

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