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
The oldest tree in Connecticut is around 300 years old. Here’s how to see it

Arbor Day: What to know about the holiday celebrating trees
Arbor Day began in Nebraska in the late 1800s. Here’s everything you need to know about the holiday all about trees and nature.
As the weather warms up in preparation for a New England summer, many people are heading back outdoors to adore Connecticut’s nature, from flowers to mountains to trees.
While Connecticut has plenty of fantastic trees to look at this time of year, many of the state’s trees are full of history as well as beauty. In fact, the oldest tree in Connecticut is estimated to be 200-300 years old. Located in Simsbury, the Pinchot Sycamore Tree is believed to be not only the state’s oldest tree, but also its largest.
Here’s the story of Connecticut’s oldest tree, as well as where you can see the landmark today.
History of the Pinchot Sycamore Tree
While the exact origins of the Pinchot Sycamore tree are unknown, it is estimated to be 200-300 years old, with some scholars saying it may be as old as 500 years.
According to Simsbury’s town website, the tree is named after Gifford Pinchot, an environmental preservationist who was born in Simsbury in 1865. Pinchot served as governor of Pennsylvania for two terms and the nation’s first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, which he was appointed to by Teddy Roosevelt. The sycamore was originally dedicated to Pinchot in 1965, and again in 1975.
Last measured in 2016, the Pinchot Sycamore tree stands at a whopping 95 feet tall with a circumference of 28 feet around, making it the largest sycamore tree in all of New England. Today, the tree stands as a symbol of the town of Simsbury, located just south of the town’s center.
How to see the Pinchot Sycamore Tree
Today, the Pinchot Sycamore Tree is at the center of Simsbury’s Pinchot Sycamore Tree Park, located near Talcott Mountain on the east side of the Farmington River. The address is 20 Hartford Rd., Simsbury.
Two markers near the tree recognize the tree’s dedication and measurements, as well as the park’s founders. The tree is accompanied by a nearby bench for viewing, as well as plenty of green space where residents often picnic under the tree’s shade.
Connecticut
Suspect charged in Waterbury mall shooting that wounded 5 people

WATERBURY, Connecticut (WABC) — Police in Connecticut have arrested a 19-year-old in the shooting of 5 people at the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury on Tuesday.
Tajuan Washington, 19, of Waterbury, is charged with five counts of first-degree assault and a number of weapons violations, authorities said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Washington is being held on a $2 million bond.
Brass Mill Center Mall, located at 495 Union St., remained closed following the shooting just before 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, which prompted a massive police response and mall lockdown.
The victims, four women and one man, range in age from 20 to 26.
Three of the victims have been treated and released from the hospital. The remaining two are in stable condition and continue to receive medical care.
The most seriously wounded is a woman who suffered a gunshot to the spine.
Authorities said that the shooting was not random and appeared to have stemmed from a dispute that escalated into gunfire.
Law enforcement recovered evidence from the scene, including items connected to the firearm, which are now being analyzed by forensics teams.
No officers were posted inside the mall at the time of the incident.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont released a statement following the shooting, saying in part, “This afternoon there was a tragic mass shooting at the Bass Mill Center mall in Waterbury, a place where everyone should feel safe. We are grateful to law enforcement, who acted swiftly.”
Authorities said the Brass Mill Center, while not opened to the public as of Wednesday afternoon, has been thoroughly searched and cleared by the Waterbury Police Department in coordination with the Connecticut State Police.
———-
* More Connecticut news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2025 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Connecticut
5 people wounded in shooting at a Connecticut mall, police say

WATERBURY, Conn. — Five people have been wounded in a shooting at a mall in Connecticut, police said Tuesday.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said officers responded to the Brass Mill Center for reports of a disturbance at around 4:40 p.m. He said all victims were being treated at local hospitals, though he declined to elaborate on the extent of their injuries.
Spagnolo said police believe the gunman, who had a semiautomatic pistol, knew the victims and that the shooting was preceded by a dispute that quickly escalated.
He said police haven’t made any arrests so far, but believe there is no further threat to the public.
”We do not believe this was a random act of violence,” Spagnolo said at a briefing outside the mall.
The Brass Mill Center is located off Interstate 84 in Waterbury, about 30 miles (about 50 kilometers) southwest of Hartford, the state capital.
-
News1 week ago
Maps: 3.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern California
-
Culture1 week ago
Do You Know the English Novels That Inspired These Movies and TV Shows?
-
Education1 week ago
Video: Columbia University President Is Booed at Commencement Ceremony
-
Education1 week ago
How Usher Writes a Commencement Speech
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump, alongside first lady, to sign bill criminalizing revenge porn and AI deepfakes
-
World1 week ago
Digitisation fronts new Commission strategy to boost EU single market
-
Politics1 week ago
Expert reveals how companies are rebranding 'toxic' DEI policies to skirt Trump-era bans: 'New wrapper'
-
World1 week ago
EU reaches initial deal to lift economic sanctions on Syria: Reports