Rachel Banham shines as Connecticut Sun rout Phoenix Mercury 96-69 in final home game before Olympic break

The Connecticut Sun improved to 3-0 against the Phoenix Mercury this season with a 96-69 rout on Sunday, their final game at Mohegan Sun Arena before the WNBA’s three-week break for the Paris Olympics.Rachel Banham powered the victory over Phoenix with her best performance in a Sun jersey, setting a new career-high with eight made 3-pointers on 11 attempts. Banham ended with a season-high 24 points, all coming from beyond-the arc, in 23 minutes on the floor.It was a game of runs for both teams early with seven lead changes before halftime, and Connecticut fell behind by as many as nine points in the first quarter. DeWanna Bonner’s hot hand fueled the comeback with five unanswered points as the Sun went on a 7-0 run to end the first quarter and tie the game 20-20. The six-time All-Star had nine points in the opening quarter plus a team-leading three rebounds and a steal, and she finished with 17 points shooting 8-for-15 from the field.Kahleah Copper was dominant for the Mercury in the first half with a game-high 14 points shooting 7-for-13 from the field. But the second-highest scorer in the league was limited from range going 0-for-2 on 3-pointers, and she also gave up a three turnovers in the first half. Copper finished with a single made three and a career-worst seven turnovers.Banham and Brionna Jones took the reigns of the Sun’s offense in the second quarter. Banham checked in off the bench and scored six points in her first three minute on the court off a pair of 3-pointers. She added two more before halftime to surpass her season-high three makes from beyond the arc, and she led the Sun with 12 points after the second quarter. Jones also put up 12 first-half points despite a difficult matchup with Phoenix’s Olympian center Brittney Griner.How Connecticut Sun’s Brionna Jones bounced back from Achilles rupture to earn WNBA All-Star honors in 2024The Sun quickly opened up a double-digit lead in the second half with a 10-2 run to start the third quarter. DiJonai Carrington, despite a poor shooting performance from the field, went 5-for-8 at the free throw line and recorded a career-high six offensive rebounds. She finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for her first WNBA double-double. Carrington also lived up to her reputation as one of the top perimeter defenders in the league this year, helping hold Phoenix well below their season average shooting 28% beyond the arc. The Mercury have shot below 30% on 3-pointers in all three matchups with the Sun this season.Connecticut held Phoenix scoreless for nearly five minutes in the third until Copper ended the drought by hitting her first 3-pointer with under two minutes to go in the quarter. But Rachel Banham sank a fifth 3-pointer to open the fourth, kicking off another 9-2 run for the Sun. Copper finished as the Mercury’s leading scorer with 17 points, but she was held to just three in the second half.

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