Sun Blocks Out the Storm, 68-64

The Connecticut Sun did all it could do Friday with its one home game in the WNBA Finals.

The Sun built a 16-point second-half lead and held off the Seattle Storm, 68-64, before a sold-out crowd of 9,341 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series.

Now, the Eastern Conference champions have to hope the adage that championships are won on the road is true because Game 2 is Sunday afternoon at Seattle, and, if necessary, Game 3 will be at KeyArena too.

“I’m real happy we got the win because the first win at home is obviously very important,” Sun Coach Mike Thibault said. “I thought for about 75% of the game we played really, really well. But our lapses were awful. We have to do a lot better job if we expect to win a game in Seattle.”

Connecticut was led by Katie Douglas, who had 18 points, and a pesky defense that recorded 15 steals and forced 17 Storm turnovers. And Sun point guard Lindsay Whalen didn’t play like a rookie, scoring 11 points and handing out a franchise playoff record nine assists.

The Storm, for its part, made a bevy of mistakes and missed shots (26 for 74, 35.1%). Betty Lennox led Seattle with 17 points on seven-for-17 shooting, and Lauren Jackson added 16 points on six-for-19 shooting. It left the Storm with plenty to think about, according to Coach Anne Donovan.

“It was good we put up a fight at the end of the game. But it was all Connecticut, there was no doubt,” Donovan said. “Give them a lot of credit; their defense took us out of what we wanted to do, and they were physical enough inside that it affected our post players. They set the tone. It needs to be different in Game 2.”

Storm guard Sue Bird -- who had 12 points, four assists and six turnovers -- was more succinct. “We were bad,” she said.

Although Seattle’s size advantage was evident on the boards with a 42-33 rebounding edge, it was the Sun that did more damage early on the inside. Taj McWilliams-Franklin (10 points) and Wendy Palmer-Daniel (16 points) were the main beneficiaries, consistently slicing through the Storm defense on pick-and-rolls for uncontested layups.

So it was little surprise that Connecticut led often during the early going, including a 34-29 advantage at halftime, punctuated by Douglas’ 19-footer with 23.6 seconds left.

Anticipating a second-half adjustment by the Storm, Whalen took it upon herself to become more active in the offense, not simply penetrating the lane and passing the ball back out, but driving to the basket for shots.

“I tried to get in the lane and make things happen,” Whalen said. “A few things opened up, and we hit some shots. In the first half we just tried to get into the flow of the game, and in the second half myself and everyone else tried to be more aggressive.”

Connecticut took control midway through the second half, outscoring Seattle, 17-7, over a 6:51 stretch. A layup by Asjha Jones at the 7:21 mark gave the Sun its biggest lead, 63-47. Although Seattle rallied, closing to within two points, at 66-64, on a three-point shot by Lennox with 17.4 seconds left, the Storm never caught up.

“More than anything their transition from [defense to offense] really killed us,” Bird said. “Defensively for them, like every other team we play, the minute I call a play they adjust. Obviously, they didn’t want Lauren to go off in the post, and they made it really difficult for her. And offensively they were able to run on us.”

Jackson said it would be different Sunday: “Next game I’m going off.”

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Spark center Lisa Leslie was selected the league’s most valuable player for the 2004 regular season. In addition to a trophy, Leslie received a 2005 sports utility vehicle.

Leslie was also chosen to the WNBA all-league first team for the seventh time in eight seasons. Joining her on the first team were guards Bird (Seattle) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix), and forwards Tina Thompson (Houston) and Jackson (Seattle).

Spark guard Nikki Teasley was selected to the second team along with forwards Tamika Catchings (Indiana) and Swin Cash (Detroit), center Yolanda Griffith (Sacramento) and guard Nykesha Sales (Connecticut).

WNBA President Val Ackerman, speaking with reporters before the game, said the league expects to add one team each in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.