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DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun put WNBA on notice after dominant win against one of the league’s best

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DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun put WNBA on notice after dominant win against one of the league’s best


Midway through the third quarter on Thursday night, Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon pulled every single one of her starters and subbed in a rotation of entirely bench players.

Led by DeWanna Bonner, the Connecticut Sun held a 17-point lead at Mohegan Sun Arena, completely dominating the same team who beaten them to claim the WNBA Championship in the same building nine months prior.

“I just told them (my starters), ‘I’m not gonna watch that kind of basketball,’” Hammon said of the decision postgame. “I was gonna sit them out the rest of the game. Actually they came back and begged me to put them back in, so I did. We made a little run there, a little push, but at the end of the day we didn’t have anybody to guard Bonner. … She came out and kicked our ass, pretty much single handedly.”

Bonner didn’t even notice that the Aces starters were no longer on the court; she was simply too locked in. The 35-year-old wing was going off for a career-best 41 point performance, setting a franchise scoring record as she led the Sun to a dominant 94-77 victory. It was the first loss of the season for Las Vegas (7-1), which had opened the season 7-0, including a 90-84 win over Connecticut on Tuesday night.

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The Sun were 6-1 through the first seven games of the season, but head coach Stephanie White knew this week, with two games against the Aces, who had beaten Connecticut in the finals a season ago, would be a true measuring stick.

After losing former MVP Jonquel Jones as well as veteran point guard Jasmine Thomas and bringing in a new head coach and a handful a new pieces, the Sun were discounted by many around the league over the offseason. While ‘super teams’ formed in Las Vegas and New York, there were more questions around whether Connecticut could still contend for a title. And those remained after the first half on Tuesday.

But on Thursday night, the Sun (7-2) put the league on notice and sent a clear message of belonging in that conversation. Now the team will look to build on that momentum as it enters two games against the Atlanta Dream (2-4) this week, on the road Sunday and at home Thursday.

“I think it’s a great start for us to start to feel like things are coming together,” White said. “To be able to beat an opponent like Las Vegas and to be able to respond I think the way that they responded, I’m just incredibly proud of them.”

On Tuesday night, Connecticut came out flat with a slow start burdened by turnovers, bad shooting and a lackluster defensive effort. The Sun trailed 48-31 at halftime; they had turned the ball over 12 times, allowed 15 fast break points, only shot 31.3% from the field while allowing the Aces to shoot 50% and been outscored 28-12 in the paint.

But thanks to a scorching performance from deep from Rebecca Allen off the bench, Connecticut turned a once 19-point deficit into a two-point game late. The Sun would end up coming up just short in the loss, but showed a lot of fight in the second half. They carried that, along with a renewed team chemistry this season, into Thursday’s game.

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“That locker room is probably one of the closest teams that I’ve been on in a very long time,” Bonner said. “We lost that game to Vegas and it was just like nothing ever happened. We kind of were just like, ‘Okay, let’s regroup.’ We still have fun. Usually it’s not like that, you lose a game, you’re pouty.”

The Sun completely flipped the script, coming out as the aggressor and taking control of the game from the opening tip.

“We definitely came out flat last game, and we knew it,” Alyssa Thomas said. “We took a lot of energy to bring ourselves back in the game last time and we weren’t gonna let that happen. It was a different ballgame the second half  last game and today we wanted to set the tone, and that’s what we did.”

Bonner, who had been held to five points and sat on the bench to end the game on Tuesday, was hot from the start this time around. She scored the first bucket of the game and went on a personal 10-0 run in the opening frame with back-to-back triples to give Connecticut a double-digit lead. She had 17 points in the first quarter alone, at the end of which the Sun were already up 26-15.

The 6-foot-4 wing said one of her twin daughters, Cali, came up to her before she left for the game and gave her “some superpowers” to power her performance. And it certainly looked as if Bonner was a superhero as she drained shot after shot on Thursday night with the points continuing to rack up.

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“Man, I worked so hard for this one,” Bonner said. “I don’t think anybody outside that locker room knows how hard it’s been these first couple of games. … I just wanted to be aggressive. I feel like the first game I probably had the worst game of my career. And yeah, I took it pretty hard, so I watched video. .. I was ready this game.”

Bonner broke the franchise record, previously set at 35 and held by Shannon Johnson from the 2002 season, a year before the Orlando Miracle relocated to Uncasville and became the Sun, in the fourth quarter.

Shortly after that she crossed the midcourt logo and drained a long 3-pointer to eclipse her career-high, set at 38 in triple overtime with the Phoenix Mercury in 2016. White threw her hands up with a wide grin, Thomas bounced up and down in excitement on the bench and the rest of Mohegan Sun Arena erupted in cheers.

“Super proud of her,” Thomas, who is also Bonner’s girlfriend, said. “She took the last game kind of hard. She holds herself  to a high standard. So for her not to hesitate and just let it go. I mean, I think everyone in that locker room is super proud of her . We know what she’s all about, we know what she’s capable of and I think she reminded the league of what type of player she is.”

As a team, the Sun shot 52.9% from the field and 57.1% from deep, with 28 assists on 37 made field goals. Connecticut also had 17 fast break points and scored 21 points off of 18 Las Vegas turnovers. It was the embodiment of the fast paced offense White envisioned when she took over the team.

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“I feel good about how we’re continuing to grow on both ends of the floor,” White said. “We’re getting better. We still have have a ways to go to peak, which nobody wants to be peaking right now. But we’re not satisfied. We know that every day we’ve got to go out and earn it. Every possession we have to go out and earn it. This is a group who not only accepts that, but embraces that.

“Certainly this was this was a big one I think mentally for us just to come out and to be able to execute the way that we did and come away with a win, but this isn’t the end game. This isn’t the end game. We’ll enjoy this and then we’ll turn the page and we’ll get ready for Atlanta.”

The Sun and Dream tip-off Sunday at 4 p.m. on NBC Sports Boston.





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These New CT Laws That Can Change Your Life Go Into Effect July 1

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These New CT Laws That Can Change Your Life Go Into Effect July 1


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.

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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.

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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.”



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Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Already Issued For Parts Of CT: Live Updates

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Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Already Issued For Parts Of CT: Live Updates


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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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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.”

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Father accused of trying to drown his twins at beach

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Father accused of trying to drown his twins at beach


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.

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Dawson Avenue Beach in West Haven. (WTNH)

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.

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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.” 

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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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