Alyssa Thomas Posts 1st Triple-Double in WNBA Finals History; Sun Top Aces in Game 3

Powered by the first triple-double in WNBA Finals history by Alyssa Thomas, the Connecticut Sun defeated the Las Vegas Aces 105-76 on Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The Sun's win cut the Aces' series lead to 2-1, and now Connecticut has the opportunity to force a winner-take-all Game 5 in Las Vegas next week with a win in Game 4 Sunday at home.

Thomas was one of the Sun's most impressive players Thursday, finishing with 16 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and one block. However, the entire team's performance was much better than it had been in Games 1 and 2, particularly on offense.

Jonquel Jones finished with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists. DeWanna Bonner saw the most significant improvement in Game 3, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Natisha Hiedeman notched 14 points, three rebounds, nine assists and one steal, and Courtney Williams posted 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.

Even Dijonai Carrington had an impressive performance off the bench, finishing with 12 points and two steals.

The Sun dominated the first half and, at one point, held a 23-point lead over the Aces. Connecticut's defense was suffocating, though that didn't stop Las Vegas from making a significant push to cut into the Sun's lead just before halftime, making it a 53-42 game.

Bonner, in particular, snapped out of her slump with nine points, three rebounds and three assists in the first half.

Hiedeman led the way offensively for Connecticut through the first two quarters, notching 11 points and six assists, in addition to two rebounds and one steal.

A'ja Wilson, unsurprisingly, was Las Vegas' best player in the first half, posting 14 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks.

The Aces continued to cut into the Sun's lead in the third quarter with strong performances from Wilson, Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray. However, Jonquel Jones had a monster third quarter to help hold off Las Vegas and cling onto a 77-69 lead.

Jones, the 2021 WNBA MVP, notched 11 points in the third quarter and imposed her will to help Connecticut enter the fourth quarter with the lead.

Connecticut got out to a strong start in the fourth quarter as Thomas became the first player in WNBA Finals history to notch a triple-double when she dished her 10th assist.

The Aces continued to hang around in the fourth quarter, but the Sun had an answer every time Las Vegas attempted to chip into their lead, which lead to Aces head coach Becky Hammon waving the white flag by emptying her bench.

Jackie Young led the Aces with 22 points, two rebounds and two assists, while Wilson finished with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks.

With the win, the Sun are now 4-0 in elimination games in 2022, they'll look to make it 5-0 in Game 4 on Sunday.