Following shocking victory, Sun look to keep momentum

With a few seconds left in regulation in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday, the Sacramento Monarchs had a three-point lead on the scoreboard, a 1-0 lead in the series and every reason to think they would celebrate their first league title back home this weekend.

Instead, the Monarchs blew a basic defensive assignment at the worst possible time, allowing Brooke Wyckoff to hit an open 3-pointer for the Connecticut Sun.

The momentum moved a whole lot more quickly than Sacramento’s defensive rotation – and after holding the stunned Monarchs scoreless in overtime of a series-tying, 77-70 victory, the Sun headed out West riding all the momentum they stole with one big shot.

“We got a little bit lucky the other night to get the opportunity that we did,” Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said Saturday. “But as we mentally stayed in the game, it paid off for us. Now we have another life, and we have to go take advantage of it.”

In Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Sunday, the Monarchs hope a raucous crowd at Arco Arena will help them reclaim their vanished swagger in a series that appears as evenly matched as the clubs’ similar records and personnel suggest.

Connecticut’s momentum could be a key, since the Monarchs were visibly shaken by their late-game errors.

The Monarchs hope two days off will clear their heads.

“I can feel it in games,” said John Whisenant, the WNBA’s coach of the year for Sacramento. “But when you have time to think about it and analyze it, our people are smart enough (to realize) that it’s a new ballgame each time you get on the floor.”

Sacramento will rely on a roster loaded with playoff-tested veterans, including center Yolanda Griffith and her 17.5 points per game in this postseason.

When asked if the Monarchs still might have a hangover from their crushing loss, a bit of Griffith’s well-known competitive fire was stoked.

“What happened in Connecticut, happened in Connecticut,” said Griffith, who scored 16 points in Game 2. “It’s time to move on.”

While the Monarchs worry about one shot erasing their confidence, the Sun must make sure they don’t forget their struggles throughout the series because of one fortuitous 3-pointer. Connecticut has made 29 turnovers in the first two games, and its inferior depth was exposed in the second halves of both contests.