Connecticut
Former UConn star Dorka Juhász excited to be back in Connecticut as Minnesota Lynx take on Sun
Former UConn star Dorka Juhász is officially back in Connecticut, set to take the court as a WNBA player in the Nutmeg State for the first time when the Minnesota Lynx (12-13) take on the Sun (18-6) for a pair of games this week.
“I’ve got a lot of messages already that people from college times, days, they’re coming to support me, just bringing their families, friends,” Juhász said. “A couple of my teammates are able to make it — most of my teammates from college are back home now, but whoever is at UConn right now, they’re gonna come and watch me play. So I’m super excited.”
Juhász was also thrilled to be reunited with her favorite canine Husky, Jonathan XIV, along with puppy Jonathan XV, for a playdate on Saturday.
14 connection still going strong! 😉💙🐾 pic.twitter.com/VeDE9tx6eZ
— Dorka Juhász (@Dorkajuhasz14) July 29, 2023
The Sun and Lynx will first square off 1 p.m. Sunday on CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Boston. Then Tuesday’s game will get underway at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Fellow Husky Napheesa Collier won’t be available for either matchup after spraining her right ankle in the final minutes of Minnesota’s win over the Washington Mystics on Wednesday. The Lynx announced Friday that the 6-foot-1 forward is expected to be out for seven to 10 days, and she was wearing a boot on the ankle on the bench during that night’s game against the New York Liberty.
Collier was having an MVP-caliber season, leading Minnesota in nearly every statistical category with averages of 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. Still, the Lynx managed to escape with a 88-83 victory over the Liberty on Friday night.
“I think everybody just kind of took ownership of their place on the court,” Sun assistant coach Briann January said. “They’re like, ‘Okay, yeah, we’re down a man, but I’m gonna step up.’ And you could see that, like everybody had an attack mentality on offense. Everybody was being aggressive on defense. They were really trying to pick up that load that they lost when Napheesa went down.”
Kayla McBride led Minnesota with 26 points along with five rebounds and four assists, while rookie Diamond Miller had 22 points, five rebounds and two assists in the win.
Juhász had her third double-double of the season while shooting 60% or more from the field in Minnesota’s win on Friday, recording 13 points and 10 rebounds. She became the second player in Lynx franchise history to do so as well as just the 12th rookie in WNBA history to hit such a mark.
“It’s just kind of that mindset of just go grabbing rebounds,” Juhász said. “I felt like maybe in the beginning of the season, I kind of just maybe boxed out, wait around for somebody to go grab it. So I definitely took much pride in these past games of especially on the O boards, like get some extra possessions for us. … But going forward that’s just going to be my identity and I have to hold myself accountable.”
The Sun are 2-0 against the Lynx so far this season, with both meetings coming on the road. Connecticut narrowly escaped with a 89-84 victory on June 1 and then won by a much wider 89-68 margin on June 22.
With that loss, Minnesota had a 4-9 record at that point in the season. But Cheryl Reeve’s club has gone 8-4 since then.
“They’re a team that has been fighting all season,” January said. “You can see their toughness in every game that they play, they’ve been in every game that they’ve played, they have a team full of vets that know what it takes. And so that’s the main message with these matchups is we can’t we can’t take them lightly and they will come in here and punch us if we’re not ready to play tough.”
Connecticut’s last game was a 88-83 road win over the Dallas Wings on Tuesday. DeWanna Bonner led the Sun with 32 points, eight rebounds and four assists while former UConn star Tiffany Hayes went off for a season-high 28 points along with five assists and four rebounds.
Then on Wednesday, the Sun announced the signing of 6-foot-10 Hungarian center Bernadett Határ to a rest of season contract.
“She’s one of my favorite post players ever, and I’ve played with a lot of good ones,” said January, who played with Határ on Sopron Basket in Hungary. “Her ability to stretch the floor — she can step out and knock down a shot. Her touch around the rim — she finishes extremely well. She has great hands, great timing, can block shots. … She’s a competitor and she’s a good teammate. And so that alongside all the talent she has, yeah, we just gotta get her going.”
Given how small of a country Hungary is, Határ said she and Juhász know each other, but they haven’t seen each other play in person in about seven years. On Sunday, they’ll both represent their country on opposite sides.
“It shows that the Hungarian league is getting better and the Hungarians playing are on the good way to be good players all around the world, so that’s a good sign,” Határ said. “It really means a lot because we can show them back home that you can live your dream and you can reach it, so they just need to keep working super hard and they can have it.”
Juhász is a perfect example of that with the success she’s having right now. Her double-double on Friday marked her second over the last four games. Juhász has averaged 11 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game during that span. And the former Husky will look to continue to her productive rookie campaign in familiar territory on Sunday.
“Considering what she’s went through with her injuries and whatnot, seeing her at this level and blossoming has been just really cool and really just a neat experience to see,” Sun forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa said of Juhász, who she played with for a year at UConn. “She’s flourishing right now, she has her confidence and rhythm, and so I just love seeing that for her.”
Connecticut
Gifts of Love provides for Connecticut families in crisis
Connecticut
Connecticut National Guard families come together for annual holiday event
HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) — On Saturday morning, families of the Connecticut National Guard gathered for an annual event designed to provide support and comfort during the holiday season.
Operation Embracing Lonely Families has been a tradition for 23 years, offering much-needed support to military families separated from loved ones who are deployed.
The event focuses on easing some of the financial burden and emotional stress that military families face during deployments, especially during the holidays.
“It’s an enjoyment because it brings everyone closer during the holiday so they can still be around their family too,” said Newton Maldonado, a National Guard soldier.
One of the attendees, Nicole Scalora, whose husband was recently deployed to Africa for a year, shared the challenges of military life.
“It’s tough. We have to take it one day at a time. Doing everything at home by yourself, not having that shoulder to rely on can be difficult. But I have a lot of family and a lot of support, so that helped a lot. Also, the military is constantly reaching out. Making sure that we’re good and that if we need help, they’re there,” she said.
Saturday’s event included treats and toys for the families, as well as a visit from Santa Claus.
The tradition, which began under former Governor Jodi Rell and continued by each subsequent Lieutenant Governor, has become a symbol of appreciation for those who serve and their families.
While this year’s ceremony was smaller in scale, organizers are expecting the event to grow significantly next year, with nearly 800 families anticipated to attend.
These families are affected by the various deployments of National Guard members overseas.
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz expressed her gratitude, noting, “, I’m really glad for the people of Connecticut that our celebration is rather small, because it means our national guard families are here at home celebrating.”
The event remains an important opportunity for the community to come together and honor the sacrifices made by military families throughout Connecticut.
Copyright 2024 WFSB. All rights reserved.
Connecticut
Several vehicles and outdoor furnace destroyed in fire in Woodstock
Several vehicles and an outdoor furnace were destroyed in a fire in Woodstock on Friday night.
Firefighters from Muddy Brook Fire Department responded to Paine District Road around 9 p.m. for a report of a detached garage on fire with exposure.
When fire crews arrived, they said they found a 20′ by 20′ building with fire throughout.
According to fire officials, several vehicles and an outdoor furnace were destroyed in the fire.
The fire did not spread from the building of origin and no injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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