Overtime Is Right Time as the Sun Evens Series

Taj McWilliams-Franklin can’t remember the last time she jumped as high.

And it seemed just about every time the Connecticut forward went up, she came down with a rebound.

McWilliams-Franklin grabbed five rebounds in overtime and made the go-ahead jumper, helping the Sun beat the Sacramento Monarchs, 77-70, Thursday night to tie the best-of-five WNBA finals at one game apiece. She finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds.

“Our post coach always says, ‘Get to every rebound.’ I just wanted to make sure I got my hand on a few,” she said. “I missed a couple of good shots there in regulation, so I wanted to do something else to help them.”

McWilliams-Franklin’s wide-open jumper with 4:18 left in the extra period was all the Sun needed as it held Sacramento scoreless in overtime.

Game 3 in the best-of-five series is Sunday at Sacramento.

Nykesha Sales finished with 19 points and Katie Douglas added 16 for the Sun, which was playing without point guard Lindsay Whalen, sidelined by an ankle injury.

“I’m more impressed with some of the defensive plays we made, steals, tips in the lane, rebounds in traffic,” Coach Mike Thibault said. “I thought they all stepped up and did that.”

Connecticut’s Brooke Wyckoff made a three-point basket with two seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime tied at 70-70.

McWilliams-Franklin dueled the entire game against Yolanda Griffith.

Her post defense in overtime frustrated Griffith and the Monarchs, known for their harassing defense.

But it was Connecticut making all the right moves when it counted.

McWilliams-Franklin pulled down a defensive rebound with 1:55 left in overtime and fired a pass nearly full-court, hitting Sales in stride for a breakaway layup.

Sales then stole a pass and found Douglas in transition for another layup.

“From beginning to end, they had a lot of energy,” Griffith said. “They were more hungry than we were. I think we kind of put it in the back of our heads that we were going back home.”

Wyckoff, who missed the 2004 season because of a knee injury, made three of four three-pointers, none bigger than her shot to send the game to overtime. McWilliams-Franklin made the assist.

“I just watched it all develop like in slow motion,” Wyckoff said. “Just seeing Taj bounce it twice, look, decide not to shoot then find me, lock eyes and here it comes.”

Sun guards Jen Derevjanik and rookie Jamie Carey ran the point in place of Whalen and combined for eight assists and six points.

“I came in here expecting that we could win two,” Sacramento Coach John Whisenant said. “I think that’s the way our players think. We’ve got two at Arco [Arena] now, but I don’t think home court makes a lot of difference. With these two teams, they are very close.”