WNBA FINALS: LAS VEGAS VS. CONNECTICUT

September 15, 2022

DeWanna Bonner

Alyssa Thomas

Jonquel Jones

Connecticut Sun

Game 3: Postgame

Connecticut Sun 105, Las Vegas Aces 76

Q. For either DeWanna or JJ, with AT having the triple-double, she was able to have tonight, I know obviously you described her as the engine all season, but how would you describe the competitiveness that she brings, especially in these elimination games?

DeWANNA BONNER: She kind of gets us going. She been doing this all year, so shout out to her for getting another triple-double but to do it in playoffs is unbelievable. She brings a toughness to our team. Really when you say she's the engine, she's the engine. Don't use that loosely.

Shout out to her. We were able to hit a couple shots tonight so she could get her triple-double, so she needs to thank me (laughing).

Q. Coach is wearing a "Belief" hat to start, said he lost a bet, was it with you guys?

JONQUEL JONES: Can you say it again.

Q. Coach was wearing a "Belief" hat walking into the press conference --

JONQUEL JONES: It wasn't us.

Q. How big was the inside game? You outscored them 66-24 in the paint, which said a WNBA Finals record.

JONQUEL JONES: Yeah, that's just been, I guess, the MO of the playoffs, right. Like even the Chicago series, the team that won the paint won the game. That's where it's done.

You know, I think a long time ago, I talked to Lisa Leslie and she said to win the championship, you have to win the paint. I see it now and I feel it now and being a veteran now, I can definitely go back to that and say that she was right.

Q. Alyssa, did you do anything different? Did anything feel differently coming into this game to make this such an historic game?

ALYSSA THOMAS: For me I approached the game like I approached any other game. I think we just wanted it. We've been struggling offensively. We haven't really been hitting shots and tonight we came out ready. My teammates hit their shots and I always say without them, none of these triple-doubles are possible.

Q. Jonquel, before the game you were sitting on the corner of the bench before you went through your routine, getting mentally focused. Can you share some of your thoughts as you were getting ready to go into this game and just your thought process knowing everything was on the line tonight?

JONQUEL JONES: I normally do that before I shoot, take a moment and sit and think about ways that I can impact the game, the series in general, how we can be better. We've watched a lot of film and we've prepared a lot. Yeah, it's just a moment for me, and just appreciate the moment but also understand how I can be better to help the team and ultimately how we can walk away with a W.

Q. JJ, first of all, great game and congrats to all three of you. You were extremely aggressive on duck-ins and dives from the top of the key. Was that an extra aggression in your mindset?

JONQUEL JONES: Yeah, just going back to the last game before this one, I felt like I did a really about job of doing that and I also feel like the earlier I can duck in and do my work, the more opportunities I am going to have because the defense isn't able to load up. They are kind of playing a little bit more honestly as we are coming down in transition.

So I have to use those opportunities to be able to get some easy buckets because it's been tough. The playoffs have been tough. It's been a lot of attention. So you know, any time I can get an easy bucket, I'm going to go and try to get it.

Q. JJ, first, for you, what does this game represent for this team?

JONQUEL JONES: What does it represent? I don't think it represents anything. I think it's just the MO of our team is when our backs are against the wall, we play really good basketball. Sometimes you wish that you didn't put yourself in those positions but that's there now. All we can do is focus on the next game. In the playoffs I feel like any time our backs have been against the wall, you see us come out, and I'm proud of our team and I'm proud of what we were able to do tonight.

Q. Can you speak about how you were able to lock up Chelsea Gray? What do you think worked tonight?

ALYSSA THOMAS: It's a team effort. We knew the importance of slowing her down. Db took on the challenge and yeah, we had her back and we flew around and yeah, it was a team effort out there.

Q. I know you struggled a little bit shooting the first two games and then came out today ask kind of looked like your old self. Can you talk about the combination of doing that plus what you were able to do defensively against Chelsea tonight.

DeWANNA BONNER: My teammates, thank goodness for my teammates because it was a rough two games for me in Vegas. They just told me to stay confident and that's what I did. And man, I got to sleep in my own bed. Being at home just feels so much better because we were on the road for like seven or eight days. With the playoffs, I feel like we've been on the road a lot and it was just so good to be home in front of these fans. I can't shoot like that in front of them again.

Defensively, she's a great player. Chelsea has been killing it this playoff run, but yeah, I did the best I can to stop her, and my teammates was right there. As long as they're right there, I'm going to be right there with them. I think it was just a total team effort in trying to slow her down a little bit. But we are not done, so got to figure out a new game plan to do it again.

Q. You went down 9-2 early and then Coach called a time-out. What did that time-out look like and how were you able to make the run after that? You never really took your foot off the gas after that point.

ALYSSA THOMAS: There's no panic. We were still settling into our game plan. We were a little overly aggressive. We had a lot of good looks at the basket. The shots just didn't go in. We just cleaned up a little bit and focused on the game plan at task and once we got that going, there was no looking back.

Q. Alyssa has good games and then great games. Are there early indications where you're able to see that even before the game or early on in games and what do those look like where you say, all right, it's going to be one of those games?

DeWANNA BONNER: I think for me when I see her get a couple steals defensively especially a fast break layup, I say, all right, she's here, it's about to be a long night for somebody.

We feed off her. I don't know if it's one thing she does. She's just so important to our team; she just gets everybody going. She did all right tonight. So I need her to be great. I need to see great. I haven't seen it yet, so she did all right.

JONQUEL JONES: He said before the game. So what sock did she put on first? What did she eat?

DeWANNA BONNER: I cooked -- just kidding. She's the same. Alyssa never changes. She do the same routine every single game. So nothing before the game. Nothing new.

JONQUEL JONES: I was just kidding, DB.

DeWANNA BONNER: Oh, but -- yeah. I'm all right. She didn't do anything different. But during the game, she always plays well but we feed off her. She holds everybody accountable, trust me.

JJ, stop playing so much.

Q. Alyssa, feels like a game of cat-and-mouse with your defending ball screens, sometimes it's a trap and sometimes you're switching out -- how much of that is scheme and how much is you just making these reads on the fly?

ALYSSA THOMAS: They gave me a lot of freedom with my matchup. I'm able to roam around and be the ultimate helper. That's what I love to do. I love to be in all the action. They try to keep me away from the screen, so yeah, I like to be where the action is. So I'm wherever the ball is and trying to help my teammates whenever they need help.

Q. Considering how little success throughout the playoffs people have had just kind of cooling Chelsea Gray off, curious, in your defensive assignment, what did you focus on? What helped you repair for a daunting task? And especially I'm really curious about when she's off the dribble, because she's been able to set up her shot off the bounce.

DeWANNA BONNER: Man, I don't know. I'm just trying to stay locked in and limit her touches as much as I can, not give her too much room. Try to use my length more than anything. I'm a 6-4 guard for a reason so I just try to use my length, use my speed because I don't even know how she's been playing. Like she's been playing incredible basketball. However I can limit her touches or try to limit her from seeing the basket, get a clean look at the basket is what I'm trying to do before she even gets her a spot.

Yeah, I've just kind of been -- but my teammates, man, when she come off that screen, I'm like just be there and I'm going to try to be there at the same save time. She's just been playing unbelievable basketball right now. I'm just trying to slow her down a little bit. I know she's going to come out full force next game, so I've got to go back and watch film and be ready.

Q. Can you please confirm for us, is your wingspan 7-4; do you know?

DeWANNA BONNER: I just learned that tonight, literally. Holly walked up to me and said so. She said she Googled it.

Q. You've never measured it?

DeWANNA BONNER: I've never measured my wingspan. I have no idea. If Holly says it, it's probably true.