WASHINGTON _ The Connecticut Sun led at halftime and were in control with a nine-point third-quarter lead but weren't able to withstand a ferocious Washington Mystics comeback led by Emma Meesseman, ultimately losing the winner-take-all Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, 89-78.
With the loss, the Sun drop the franchise's third WNBA Finals, with the other two series coming under current Mystics coach Mike Thibault. The Mystics won a franchise-first title, and it was Thibault's first championship as well.
Jonquel Jones ended the game with a game-high 25 points and nine rebounds, while Alyssa Thomas added a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Meesseman, named the series MVP, and league MVP Elena Delle Donne paced the Mystics with 22 and 21 points, respectively, while Natasha Cloud and Kristi Toliver added 18 apiece.
Building off a one-point halftime lead, the Sun, led by Jones and Courtney Williams, started the second half on a 10-2 run to go up by a game-high nine points. But Jones picked up her fourth foul on a made Delle Donne basket and exited the game with 6:22 to play.
With the Sun's star center off the court, the Mystics swiftly climbed their way back to make it a one-possession game with a basket from Meesseman, who ended the third quarter alone with 11 points, including two score-tying shots in the quarter's final minutes.
The Sun still managed to not relinquish the lead, with a driving floater from Thomas with two seconds to play giving them a 64-62 advantage going into the final quarter.
But a three from Cloud to start the fourth not only put the Mystics ahead but gave them the energy they'd use to seal the win with a dominant final quarter. The Sun went up by three with baskets from Jones and Shekinna Stricklen, but Cloud put the Mystics ahead for good thanks to a 3-pointer and layup before Washington went up by eight with 2:54 to play.
The Sun tightened up on offense, scoring only 14 points in the final quarter, and couldn't get any closer, only managing to make one basket in the final 1:39 despite pulling with six off two free throws from Williams.
The first half had six lead changes and 11 ties. Connecticut outrebounded Washington, 18-15, and held an advantage in shooting percentage (49% from the field and 33% from deep versus 43% and 17% for Washington). But tight foul calling all around resulted in Jones, Thomas, and Stricklen picking up early fouls.
For the first time in the series, a back-and-forth first quarter in which neither team lead by more than five, and Washington ended with a 23-20 advantage, the Mystics opened the second quarter with and-one from Toliver putting the Mystics up by six.
The Sun, who ultimately outscored Washington in the second quarter, regained lead off a basket from Jones at the 6:19 mark of the second quarter before Delle Donne put the Mystics back ahead with 2:41 remaining in the half. A pair of free throws and basket from Thomas ultimately gave the Sun the advantage for the rest of the half. Meesseman and Jones traded threes before a layup from Aerial Powers pulled the Mystics within one with 18 seconds remaining and an empty possession at the buzzer for the Sun ensured a one-point advantage for the Sun at half.
