Not only did Natisha Hiedeman register a career-high in scoring against the Atlanta Dream — she also outscored her opponent all by herself during a blistering third quarter. When a teammate found Hiedeman with a crosscourt pass, Hiedeman was determined to finish the job as she began a strong drive with her left hand before shaking her defender with a crafty crossover dribble and finishing with a stepback 3-pointer. Hiedeman activated her heat check mode and scored 20 of her 24 points in the third period, and for the game she shot 8 of 11 from the field and a sizzling 6 of 7 from downtown. She tacked on three rebounds, three assists and four steals in the Connecticut Sun’s 82-71 victory on July 20, 2023. 

Natisha Hiedeman

Natisha Hiedeman buries 20 third-quarter points in career night

DeWanna Bonner’s length makes her a tough check on the best of days but it’s the skillset that makes her borderline unstoppable. The Connecticut Sun forward torments her Minnesota Lynx defender with a series of hesis and crossovers before spinning into an untouchable fadeaway on August 19, 2021. The veteran put up 31 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

DeWanna Bonner

DeWanna Bonner hits defender with turnaround fadeaway

Don’t let the towering frame fool you — Jonquel Jones can get to the hoop with the best of them. The uniquely nimble Connecticut Sun big catches a pass from teammate Natisha Hiedeman in transition, then immediately blows past her defender with a seamless through-the-legs crossover on October 6, 2021. Jones racked up 25 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4 of their semi-final clash against the Chicago Sky.

Jonquel Jones

Jonquel Jones blows past defender with crossover in 2021 Semi-Finals

Following a brilliant hustle steal-and-save on the defensive end, the Connecticut Sun wasted no time leading a counterattack. Pushing the ball up the floor at a determined pace allows a 3-on-1 opportunity to develop, one the Sun would not waste. Alyssa Thomas drops a pass off in the paint to a downhill DiJonai Carrington, who treats the basketball like a hot potato and flicks it in an instant to Natisha Hiedeman for a layup. The unselfish approach saw the Sun tally 30 assists on 40 made shots, racing to a 27-point lead after three quarters en route to a 105-92 win over the Atlanta Dream on June 15, 2022.

Connecticut Sun

Connecticut Sun force turnover, run break like well-oiled machine

Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s first career double-double paired perfectly with a dominant showing by the Connecticut Sun. Nelson-Ododa put her strength in the low post on display against the Indiana Fever as she went right to work on Emma Cannon, embracing contact in the paint and finishing with a layup. The Connecticut reserve forward posted 10 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a season-high 28 minutes as her squad cruised to an 88-72 victory on August 4, 2023.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa

Olivia Nelson-Ododa battles through contact in double-double

After spending 10 seasons with the Atlanta Dream, Tiffany Hayes is off to a scorching start with the Connecticut Sun. The veteran guard helped her new squad win for the sixth time in seven tries to kick off the 2023 campaign as she drove into the heart of the lane to attempt a contested layup before wrapping a selfless pass around Dallas Wings forward Natasha Howard to a backdoor-cutting Brionna Jones, who finished the possession with an easy bucket. Hayes connected on 6 of 8 shots for 17 points and also mixed in six rebounds and four assists in an 80-74 Sun victory on June 4, 2023. 

Tiffany Hayes

Tiffany Hayes wraps dime around defender for low-post dime

DeWanna Bonner’s 14th WNBA season has turned into one of her best. After helping guide her Connecticut Sun to an appearance in the WNBA Finals in 2022, the five-time All-Star has returned even stronger a year later. With the host Seattle Storm hanging within striking distance in the game’s final minute, Bonner left little to doubt as she buried a dagger 3-pointer over Jordan Horston with 26 seconds remaining. Bonner tallied 20 points, six rebounds and three assists in the 85-79 win on June 20, 2023, moving into 10th place on the league’s all-time scoring list in the process.

DeWanna Bonner seals tight victory with dagger three

If you need an offensive spark to charge your second unit, few can bring it to the degree that Natisha Hiedeman can. Leading the Connecticut Sun in transition, the talented guard shows off her playmaking chops, threading a precise, off-hand bounce pass in between four New York Liberty defenders to set up a teammate for a score. Hiedeman led the Sun reserves with five points, six assists, three rebounds and one steal on May 7, 2022.

Natisha Hiedeman zips transition bounce pass through multiple defenders

Alyssa Thomas has accomplished a lot of things in her 10 seasons with the Connecticut Sun, but this feat was a first for her — and every other player in WNBA history. While triple-doubles have become commonplace for the four-time All-Star, this one was different, as Thomas’ long outlet pass off a jump ball to Tyasha Harris for a transition layup marked her 10th assist of the game, fifth triple-double of the season and ninth of her career. When the game was over, Thomas had posted 21 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists for the first 20-20-10 game in league history. She added three blocks in the Sun’s 79-69 win over the Minnesota Lynx on August 1, 2023. 

Alyssa Thomas

Alyssa Thomas tosses fullcourt dime in first 20-20-10 game in WNBA history

If it can be done on a basketball court, you'd better believe Alyssa Thomas has done it once, twice, and then some. In a show of defensive smarts, the do-it-all forward rotates across the floor to the left side of the lane, rising up for a well-timed block from the weak side against the Indiana Fever. Thomas —  who would eventually be named as May 2022’s Eastern Conference Player of Month —  put together a vintage performance, with 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block, fueling the Connecticut Sun to a tough 94-85 victory on May 20, 2022.

Alyssa Thomas obliterates layup with passionate block under the hoop

Long before winning title after title in the 2010s decade, superstar guard Lindsay Whalen was making championship-caliber plays with the Connecticut Sun. Calling her own number on a coast-to-coast drive, Whalen weaves her way in between multiple San Antonio Silver Stars defenders before banking in an off-balanced and-one finish. In a duel against the team with the WNBA’s No. 1 record, Whalen stepped up with 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals on September 7, 2008.

Lindsay Whalen

Lindsay Whalen gets bucket to drop and draws a foul

Down six points late in the fourth quarter with a trip to the WNBA Finals on the line, it was all hands on deck for Courtney Williams and the Connecticut Sun. First, the Sun guard puts her hustle hat on by earning a sprinting block of a Chicago Sky triple atop the key, then has the foresight to immediately race up the floor ahead of the counterattack. A helpful teammate corrals the rejection before firing a pinpoint pass to a gliding, one-step-ahead Williams, whose layup pulls the Sun within four. The thrilling sequence was part of a final frame that saw the Sun outscore Chicago 24-5, and Williams’ 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal were instrumental in her squad prevailing 72-63 on September 8, 2022, clinching Connecticut’s first championship appearance since 2019.

Courtney Williams

Courtney Williams helps Sun pull off stunning comeback in 2022 Semi-Finals

Marketplace

Natisha Hiedeman

DeWanna Bonner

Jonquel Jones

Connecticut Sun

Olivia Nelson-Ododa

Tiffany Hayes

DeWanna Bonner

Natisha Hiedeman

Alyssa Thomas

Alyssa Thomas

Lindsay Whalen

Courtney Williams