Connecticut
3 reasons Sun will upset Liberty in 2023 WNBA Playoffs
We’re only at the semi-finals portion of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs, yet it seems like the stage is already set for a colossal Finals showdown between the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. There are a lot of reasons to believe an Aces-Liberty finale is a certainty. They were, in fact, the two best teams in the league this 2023 season. Still, it would be a huge mistake to count out last year’s finalists, the Connecticut Sun, from making a return trip to the WNBA Finals.
The Sun will take on the No. 2 seed Liberty, who are led by MVP candidate Breanna Stewart, All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, and former Sun franchise star Jonquel Jones. Connecticut failed to get a win over New York during the regular season. In fact, the Liberty dominated the Sun in their season series, which should give Stewart and co. the confidence that they can easily breeze through this second-round series against the third seed.
Nonetheless, this is the playoffs. Anything can happen at this point. It wouldn’t be smart for any WNBA fan to think this series would not be competitive. Can the Sun shock the world and upset this loaded Liberty squad? Can Alyssa Thomas and company spoil the party and prevent a historic matchup between the league’s two juggernaut giants and instead forge a rematch of the 2022 WNBA Finals?
Alyssa Thomas and the rest of the Sun certainly believe so. With that said, here are three reasons the Connecticut Sun will upset the New York Liberty in round two of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs.
1. Extra motivation to take down Jonquel Jones
The scriptwriters did great work by pitting the Connecticut Sun against its former franchise superstar Jonquel Jones. If a return trip to the WNBA Finals is not enough motivation for the Sun in this series, perhaps taking down Jones provides the extra fuel they need to pull off the upset.
Jones spent the first six years of her career with the Sun. Connecticut watched their 2016 6th overall pick ascend into one of the best players in the WNBA. The 6-foot-6 center won WNBA MVP in 2021 and led the Sun to the Finals in 2022, where they lost to Las Vegas. She made four All-Star appearances and four All-WNBA nods as part of the Sun.
However, despite just making the Finals, Jones felt like her time in Connecticut was over and requested a trade from the franchise during the 2023 offseason. With the departure of their franchise star from the team, many believed the Sun would plummet to near the bottom of the league standings. Yet, led by Alyssa Thomas’ MVP worthy-campaign, they still went 27-13 and finished with the third-best record in the WNBA.
2. Sun defense
If there is one thing the Sun can hang their hat on throughout this series, it is their defense. Connecticut finished with the second-best defensive rating in the WNBA this 2023 season. The Sun also held their opponents to 79.0 points per game this season, which ranked first in league. Connecticut was also the best team in limiting transition opportunities, holding their opponents to just 8.2 fastbreak points per game.
In addition, Connecticut was also No. 1 in defending the three-point shot, limiting its opponents to just 32.1 percent from deep. This trend continued in their first round series versus the Minnesota Lynx. In those three games, the Sun held the Lynx to just 28.9 percent shooting from three.
This should help Connecticut’s cause against a Liberty team that finished as the best three-point shooting team in WNBA history. New York set the record for most threes in a season at 444 and most three-pointers per game at 11.1. The Liberty also led the league in three-point percentage at 37.4 percent.
But as great as the Liberty were during the regular season, their three-point shooting has cooled off during the playoffs. Though it’s just two games, they did shoot just 28.1 percent from long range in their first round series against the Washington Mystics. New York’s cold shooting from beyond the arc couldn’t have come at a perfect time for a Sun team that specializes in defending from long distance.
If the Sun are able to hold the Liberty to below-par three-point shooting, they might have a chance to upset New York.
3. Sun heating up from beyond the arc
While New York is cooling off from long distance, the Sun have begun to heat up with their outside shot. Connecticut shot a scorching 45.7 percent from three through its three-game series against the Minnesota Lynx in the first round.
They went 16-of-30 in Game 1, where they blew out the Lynx by 30 points. Tiffany Hayes and Rebecca Allen, in particular, combined for 9-of-12 from three in that game. Though they cooled off a bit in Game 2 (7-of-20), which they lost, Dewanna Bonner also found her stroke, going 6-of-10 from downtown. Game 3 saw Connecticut connect on nine of their 20 triple tries, with Tyasha Harris knocking down four three-pointers and Bonner going 3-of-6.
If the Sun continue to trend up with their three-point shot, especially with Bonner finding her rhythm, there is a chance an upset of the Liberty may happen.
CONNECTICUT — Social media, school buses, the Freedom of Information Act, and hair strand thickness have all been under the microscope in Hartford recently. These are a few of the laws that resulted, new to the books as of July 1.
The complete list covering 95 pieces of new legislation is on the state’s website.
State law now requires children to be 5 years old by Sept. 1 of the year they start kindergarten in Connecticut. The previous date was Jan. 1. Parents may obtain an exception for their child following a written request and an assessment completed by the school that determines admitting the child to kindergarten would be developmentally appropriate.
When parents pick their children up from kindergarten after their first day of school, they will find a new emphasis has been placed on “play-based learning.” This is an approach to teaching that includes developmentally appropriate strategies that can be integrated with existing learning standards. It does not mean time spent in recess or as part of a physical education course or instruction, according to the definitions in the legislation.
Legislators hope that a new law cracking down on motorists illegally passing school buses will make the roads safer before and after school. The new legislation allows municipalities or districts to install “school bus violation detection monitoring systems,” surveillance technology designed to make collection of newly ramped-up penalties from scofflaw motorists a bit easier. Roadway work zones will also be under enhanced video surveillance, as the results of last year’s Transportation Department trial program convinced lawmakers to make the monitoring permanent.
When school’s not in session, state inspectors will be doubling down on summer camps, according to new legislation in effect July 1. “An Act Concerning Youth Camps” details the infractions and penalties, which can include license revocation, included in the new scrutiny.
It’s now easier to erase your child’s online life, for whatever reason. New regulations require social media platforms to unpublish a minor’s social media account within 15 business days, and generally delete the account within 45 business days, after receiving an authenticated request. The new law also sets tighter standards for the sharing of personal health and medical data, and requires online dating services to adopt a policy for handling harassment.
Connecticut residents can only hope that a reduction in social media usage will result in head-healthier kids. In the high likelihood that it does not, the state is prepared with an expansion of preschool and mental and behavioral services for children, as detailed in the new legislation here.
Three years after Connecticut made recreational cannabis use legal, new legislation drills a little deeper and tidies up a number of the provisions. Among these, the sale of THC-laced beverages will be limited to licensed package stores and hybrid distributors, federally-recognized Indian tribes can expand their growing operations, and other growers approved for large-scale operations will have the option to scale down and cut costs.
A new law places certain restrictions on exactly what kind of law enforcement records can be released through a Freedom of Information Act request. For example, the identity of certain informants, the identity of witnesses whose safety would be endangered, and the arrest records of juveniles will no longer be disclosed.
It will be a little easier to pay for and get into state universities as of July 1. Under a new law, a minimum unweighted grade point average, and not a student’s class rank, will determine acceptance under the Connecticut Automatic Admissions Program. More new legislation permits minors to directly sign for a loan with the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority.
Public Act No. 24-27 establishes a fund providing health insurance to survivors of a police officer killed in the line of duty. Another new law plugs a loophole in existing firearms background check regulations which limited the access to the juvenile records of people involved in the proposed transfer of a gun.
Finally, and in the category of “you-know-there’s-a-good-story-behind-this-one,” Public Act No. 24-53 caught our eye. Drafted in consultation with the Connecticut Examining Board for Barbers, Hairdressers and Cosmeticians, the new legislation expands the curriculum requirements for barber schools and hairdressing and cosmetology schools to include education and training in providing services to “individuals with textured hair, including, but not limited to, working with various curl and wave patterns, hair strand thicknesses and volumes of hair.”
Find out what’s happening in Across Connecticutwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Find out what’s happening in Across Connecticutwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
(Editor’s note: All information is via the National Weather Service and all updates are posted as they come in with the most recent alerts on top.)
…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM EDT
FOR SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW HAVEN COUNTIES…
At 233 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over North Haven, or
near New Haven, moving east at 40 mph.
HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE…Radar indicated.
IMPACT…Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind
damage to trees and power lines.
This severe storm will be near…
Wallingford and Guilford around 240 PM EDT.
Killingworth and North Madison around 250 PM EDT.
Clinton around 255 PM EDT.
Westbrook around 300 PM EDT.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Northwestern New Haven County until 5:15 p.m.
“At 214 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 1.5 inches are
possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
Some locations that will experience flash flooding include: Waterbury, Wolcott, Cheshire and Middlebury.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for northern New London County Until 315 PM EDT.
“At 213 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Hebron, or near Colchester, moving east at 45 mph. HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail….IMPACT…Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind damage to trees and power lines.”
This severe thunderstorm will be near:
Lebanon and Bozrah around 220 PM EDT.
Norwich and Sprague around 225 PM EDT.
Jewett City and Griswold around 230 PM EDT.
Voluntown around 240 PM EDT.
UPDATE: A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for parts of Fairfield, Middlesex and New Haven counties until 3 p.m.
“At 215 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Seymour, or near Naugatuck, moving east at 40 mph. HAZARD…Golf ball size hail and 60 mph wind gusts.
This severe storm will be near…
Naugatuck and Hamden around 220 PM EDT.
New Haven and North Haven around 225 PM EDT.
Wallingford around 230 PM EDT.
North Branford around 235 PM EDT.
Guilford and Branford around 240 PM EDT.
Killingworth and North Madison around 250 PM EDT.
Clinton around 255 PM EDT.
Westbrook around 300 PM EDT.
UPDATE: A flood advisory is in effect until 4:15 p.m. for New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties.
“At 222 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the advisory area,” the weather service said.
Some locations that will experience flooding include: Jewett City, Meriden, Middletown, Wallingford, Norwich, Colchester, East Hampton, Durham, Salem, Hamden, Cheshire,
Cromwell, Griswold, Portland, Prospect, East Haddam, Haddam, Lebanon, Bethany and Preston.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of Tolland and Windham counties until 2:45 p.m.
“At 217 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Willimantic, or near Windham, moving east at 35 mph….HAZARD…Tennis ball size hail.
Locations impacted include: Mansfield, Windham, Plainfield, Willimantic, Coventry, Brooklyn,
Columbia, Canterbury, Chaplin, Hampton, and Scotland.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties until 3 p.m.
“At 156 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Brookfield, or near Newtown, moving east at 40 mph. HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail….IMPACT…Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind damage to trees and power lines.”
This severe thunderstorm will be near:
Southbury and Newtown around 200 PM EDT.
Monroe and Seymour around 210 PM EDT.
Naugatuck and Woodbridge around 215 PM EDT.
New Haven and Hamden around 225 PM EDT.
North Haven around 230 PM EDT.
Wallingford and Branford around 235 PM EDT.
Guilford around 240 PM EDT.
Killingworth and North Madison around 250 PM EDT.
Clinton around 255 PM EDT.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service in Norton has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Hartford County until 5:45 p.m.
“At 145 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is expected to begin shortly. HAZARD…Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms….IMPACT…Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
Some locations that will experience flash flooding include: Hartford, New Britain, West Hartford, Bristol, Manchester, East Hartford, Southington, Glastonbury, Newington, Vernon, Windsor, Wethersfield, South Windsor, Farmington, Simsbury, Bloomfield, Berlin, Rocky Hill, Avon and Plainville.
UPDATE: A Flash Flood Warning has been issued for southern Litchfield County until 5 p.m.
“At 147 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain have fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 2 inches in 1
hour. Additional rainfall amounts up to 2 inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.”
Some locations that will experience flash flooding include: New Milford, Thomaston, Woodbury Center, Oakville, New Preston, Northwest Harwinton, Terryville, Watertown, Plymouth, Woodbury, Bethlehem, Washington, Morris, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Gulls Hollow, Bethlehem Village, Hotchkissville, Lakeside and Horse Heaven.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for central Fairfield County and south central New Haven County until 2:30 p.m.
“At 138 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Brewster, moving southeast at 40 mph. HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail….IMPACT…Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind damage to trees and power lines.”
This severe thunderstorm will be near:
Danbury and Ridgefield around 145 PM EDT.
Newtown around 150 PM EDT.
Monroe and Weston around 155 PM EDT.
Fairfield and Trumbull around 200 PM EDT.
Bridgeport around 205 PM EDT.
Stratford around 210 PM EDT.
Milford around 215 PM EDT.
UPDATE: The National Weather Service has a severe thunderstorm warning for north central Fairfield County until 2:30 p.m.
“At 128 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Pawling, moving east at 25 mph,” the weather service said. “HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail…IMPACT…Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind damage to trees and power lines.”
This severe thunderstorm will be near: Sherman and New Fairfield around 135 PM EDT.
UPDATE: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Hartford and Tolland County until 2:30 p.m.
“At 129 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Suffield to near Hartford to Southington, moving east at 40 mph…HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail,” the weather service said. “…IMPACT…Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
Locations impacted include: Springfield, Hartford, New Britain, West Hartford, Manchester, East
Hartford, Enfield, Southington, Glastonbury, Newington, Vernon, Windsor, Agawam, West Springfield, Wethersfield, Mansfield, South Windsor, Farmington, Bloomfield, and Berlin.
UPDATE: A Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Hartford County in northern Connecticut until 1:45 p.m.
“At 1238 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Norfolk to near Dover Plains, moving east at 45 mph….HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail,” said the National Weather Service.
* Locations impacted include: Hartford, New Britain, West Hartford, Bristol, Enfield,
Southington, Newington, Windsor, Agawam, Wethersfield, Farmington, Simsbury, Bloomfield, Berlin, Rocky Hill, Avon, Plainville, Longmeadow, Suffield, and Windsor Locks.
Original post: CONNECTICUT — A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until 7 p.m. Sunday for the entire state of Connecticut.
The National Weather Service said wind gusts up to 75 mph are possible, along with hail and frequent lightning.
“After a mainly benign and muggy morning, things dramatically change this PM,” said WFSB 3 TV meteorologists. “An approaching cold front kicks off a couple rounds of rain and storms. Be ready between 1-10pm from northwest to southeast. Some storms in the afternoon and again early this evening will likely be strong to severe, and that’s why we have declared it a FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY. The greatest impact will likely be frequent lightning, followed by downpours and strong and damaging wind gusts. Large hail is possible if we get a few supercells to develop, and even an isolated tornado is possible, but not the primary threat. Prepare for possible tree damage, power outages, etc. We’re now in the level 3 of 5 risk category for receiving severe wind producing storms! Take this seriously folks! (Read/watch more at WFSB 3 TV).
See also: Another Prominent Bank Closing 2 More Locations: Here’s Where, When
Here are the forecast details for southern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1pm and 3pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. High near 85. Southwest wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8pm and midnight. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Southwest wind around 8 mph becoming north in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 79. North wind 10 to 13 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 83. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Independence Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 85.
Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. High near 89. Southwest wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 61. Northwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday: A slight chance of showers between 10am and 11am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. North wind 10 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 84. North wind 3 to 5 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Light south wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Independence Day: A chance of showers before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
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A New York man was in custody after police say he tried to drown his twins at a beach in Connecticut over the weekend.
At 2:30 a.m. Saturday, patrol officers approached a parked SUV at the beach in West Haven and, shortly afterward, heard screaming coming from the water, authorities said.
The patrol officers followed the screams and found an “adult male and two small children” in the water. As the officers entered the water, police say, the adult male yelled, “Stay back.” Officials said that is when it was clear the male was “deliberately drowning his children.”
Additional officers and rescue boats arrived and entered the water almost 100 yards away from shore. A human chain was formed to get the children to shore, and life-saving measures were performed.
The children, who are under 3 years old, were at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital in critical condition in the intensive care unit, but said to be improving. Authorities say the children are twins — a boy and a girl.
Later Sunday evening, Borer posted on Facebook that the kids were both under pediatric critical care and making slight progress, with one of the twins taken off intubation.
Three police officers were also treated for minor injuries.
Romney Desronvil, 41, of New York, was taken into custody and charged with two counts each of attempted homicide and risk of injury.
The children’s mother was in New York at the time of the incident but has since arrived in New Haven, Connecticut, to be with her children.
At a press conference Saturday evening, West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer praised the officers and fire department members for their quick action.
“The seconds and the timing of the police officers that just happened to be driving by when this incident was occurring, it’s really remarkable,” she said.
Borer said when she met with the mother at the hospital to provide any support she needed.
West Shore Fire Chief Stephen Scafariello said first responders are getting peer support and help from the employee assistance program to deal with trauma after the incident.
“Years ago, we had to keep everything bottled up inside,” he said. “It didn’t work very well for all of us, so we’re encouraging them to talk to someone, share your emotions.”
This particular case hits home even harder, he said, seeing as it concerned children so young.
“All of our police officers, our firefighters, they’re dedicated,” he said. “To have that helpless feeling, to not be able to help a child is terrible.”
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