Connecticut Sun dig too deep a hole in loss to Seattle Storm

Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart were double trouble for the Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon.

What started with a quick layup from DeWanna Bonner to get Connecticut on the board soon became a gaping 20-point deficit, a hole with no escape. The Seattle Storm (10-2) went on to bury the Sun 89-66 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

“You have to pick your poison when you play with Seattle. They’re the best running team in the league,” Sun head coach Curt Miller said after the game. “They certainly set the tone in the first quarter, and I thought they did a really nice job trying to disrupt us.”

This was the first of at least four games that the Sun (8-3) will play without star forward Jonquel Jones, who is playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina in this month’s FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Tournament. In response, the Sun temporarily suspended her to open a roster spot and signed former Las Vegas Aces forward Emma Cannon in her place.

“It’s going to be a collective thing, everyone taking pieces of what we’re missing with JJ away to get us through the next few games,” Sun forward Brionna Jones said.

Cannon scored five points against the Storm.

“She’s a veteran that’s going to give us that toughness while Jonquel is away,” Miller said of Cannon.

Bonner, who was listed as questionable Saturday due to lower back issues, started and carried the Sun on her shoulders as best she could, collecting 14 points, four rebounds and one assist, shooting 50% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.

But one woman can only do so much, especially one with back trouble. She was subbed out for Natisha Hiedeman in the final minutes of the third quarter and remained on the bench the rest of the game.

“I’m a work in progress, but I felt good out there. Tough day, but no complaints,” Bonner said.

Miller said the team is still working to find a rhythm with Bonner at power forward, especially with Jonquel Jones gone.

Brionna Jones and Kaila Charles carried the other end of the stick when Bonner went out Jones had 12 points, four rebounds and two assists, while Charles finished with 14, four and one.

Stewart led the way for the Storm with 22 points on 8-for-15 from the field, nine rebounds and five assists. Bird had 13 points and four assists, Katie Lou Samuelson scored eight points, and Jewell Loyd, Jordin Canada and Epiphanny Prince each scored seven.

The Storm scored nearly 30 points off of the Sun’s 18 turnovers in the first three quarters, Miller said.

“We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the ball,” Brionna Jones said.

The Sun are set to jet to Chicago on Thursday to play the Sky (4-7). Tipoff at the Wintrust Arena is set for 8 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast via Twitter.