Despite being benched for the fourth quarter, Alyssa Thomas led the team in rebounds and assists.
Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White benched star forward Alyssa Thomas in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 82-74 loss to the New York Liberty. Despite her excellent effort of 16 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in only 23 minutes, Thomas was noticeably absent throughout the game’s most important moments.
White addressed the decision after the game, noting that it was part of a larger effort to control Thomas’ playing time as she prepared for her first Olympics with Team USA.
“AT’s competitive and wants to play, so if you ask her, she’s going to want to be out there all the time,” White said, according to Emily Adams of the Hartford Courant. “Sometimes, as coaches, we simply have to make judgments that benefit our athletes the most. I’m sure she wanted to play, but it’s the final game before the Olympic break, and I thought it was a fantastic opportunity for everyone else to come in and receive some minutes and see what we could do to strengthen our depth as well.”
Thomas, often known as “The Engine,” is a key player for the Sun, who are currently chasing their first WNBA championship. Her benching in such a vital game raised questions, especially since the Sun went into the fourth quarter tied at 63. Thomas led the team in rebounds and assists, and she was the club’s second-leading scorer after Brionna Jones (17 points).
The choice to rest Thomas was not unprecedented. She had played little minutes in recent games, including 25 minutes in an 80-67 win over the Atlanta Dream and 23 minutes in a 96-69 win against the Phoenix Mercury. However, she played 37 minutes in the prior week’s 71-68 loss against the Liberty.
Sun face tough schedule after Olympics break
While resting key players before the Olympics is normal practice, the Sun’s decision to do so in a close game against a strong conference foe was rare. Other teams have used similar techniques, including as the Liberty resting Breanna Stewart after a minor hamstring injury and the Mercury giving Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner time off. However, White’s choice to sit Thomas during such a vital moment drew criticism.
“We clawed our way back in. “We had our moments, but we can’t make too many mistakes against this team,” White remarked. “They make you pay for it, just like they did when we made mistakes. It’s always going to be challenging for us, but getting outscored 33-6 from the three-point line makes it even more difficult. It puts a lot of pressure on our offense to perform flawlessly, which is what successful teams do to you.”
The latest setback to the Liberty assures New York retains the head-to-head tiebreaker against Connecticut, which is critical for postseason placement. The Sun have struggled against the Liberty under White, going 1-10 over the last two years and 0-3 this season. Their next opportunity to face the Liberty is on August 24 at Barclays Center.
The Sun’s performance leading into the Olympic break is concerning, given they face a difficult schedule when they return. Six of their first eight games are on the road, including challenging games against the Seattle Storm and the Las Vegas Aces, both of whom have already defeated the Sun this season.
Despite these hurdles, White is nevertheless hopeful about the break’s benefits.
“I think more than anything, just the (Olympic) break is going to do us some good, to rest, recover, get some practice time,” said the swimmer. “As a staff, we must continue to develop inventive solutions to combat slippage, because we know it will not improve once we return to the road. We won’t be able to practice because we’re playing so many games. So we have to be able to address slippage in any way that may help our team succeed.”
