Alexis Pitchford
Staff Writer

This year’s 2019 WNBA Finals between the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics was worth watching every second and every minute of each game. This was the first time that the Connecticut Sun have returned to the WNBA Finals since 2005. As for the Mystics, this was their first back-to-back WNBA Finals appearance, and their first championship.

Game 1: Washington Mystics Defeat Connecticut Sun , 95-86
The Washington Mystics marked their presence in the first quarter, as they put up 30 points against the Sun. From that point on, the Sun were playing “catch up” for the rest of the game. 

The WNBA MVP, Elena Delle Donne, defended her home court with a stellar double-double performance of 22 points and 10 rebounds alongside five assists, which made her the third player to record at least 20-10-5 in a Finals game. 

With some additional help, Ariel Atkins dropped 21 points and Kristi Toliver finished with 18 points for the Mystics. On the away side, Courtney Williams scored a game-high of 26 points and nailed six three-pointers, and Alyssa Thomas added 20 points and six assists for the Sun. 

Game 2: Connecticut Sun Defeat Washington Mystics, 99-87
As the series made its way to Connecticut, the Sun were able to defend their radiant home against the Mystics. Jonquel Jones dominated the game with a stellar performance of 32 points and 18 rebounds, including nine offensive boards—a Finals record. The Mystics were short-handed, as Delle Donne left the game in the first quarter with back spasms. 

Stepping up in her absence, Emma Meesseman scored 23 points off the bench. Courtney Williams and Alyssa Thomas delivered again for the Sun as Williams finished with 22 points and six assists, while Thomas finished with a double-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. 

Game 3: Washington Mystics Defeat Sun, 94-81
The Mystics refused to lose on their home land, as they defeated the Sun again in Washington. This time was a team effort, as the Mystics tied a Finals record of nailing 16 three-pointers. Elena Delle Donne returned with 13 points and six rebounds, including a few threes from behind the arc. Meeseman came with an encore performance of 21 points, a game high. Kristi Toliver brought out the point god skills with a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists. 

Game 4: Connecticut Sun defeat Washington Mystics, 90-86
Just when you thought the Mystics were going to finish this series on the road, the Sun found a way to keep it alive. This game was all about defense, as Jonquel Jones finished as the leading scorer with only 18 points. Alyssa Thomas tied a WNBA Finals record of 11 assists, and aided 17 points to the Sun as well. 

Game 5: Washington Mystics defeat Connecticut Sun, 89-78
MYSTICS WIN! The Mystics bring home their first championship in franchise history. Delle Donne returned in full force with a dominant performance of 21 points and nine rebounds. Both Natasha Cloud and Krisi Toliver finished with 18 points. For the Sun, Jones’ game-high of 25 points and Alyssa Thomas’ double-double wasn’t enough for the Sun. But the true star of the night was Meeseeman, who scored 22 points and was crowned the Finals MVP, the first player to ever win the award coming off the bench. Meeseman averaged 18 PPG, 4.6 RPG while shooting 57.1 percent.

Categories: Sports

Tags: sports, wnba, women's basketball