After a bit of a rough start, the Sun played like the Sun and the Mystics could not overcome an off night from Alana Beard as Connecticut took a 1-0 lead with a 76-61 win on the road.

Lindsay Whalen and Katie Douglas combined for 39 points on 16-31 from the floor while Beard and Nikki Teasley were a combined 4-24 from the floor for 13 points. Perhaps most important for the Sun was the fact that Whalen was able to hit some big threes when the Mystics went to a zone defense. Mike Thibault credited the work of "Playoff Lindsay."

Erin Phillips hit only one shot, but that one extended a three point lead to six early in the fourth quarter and her team never looked back. Taj was also huge with another double double after flying in that morning from bringing her oldest daughter to college in Arizona. Five Sun players would finish in dougle figures.

Beard started the game 0-8 before she hit her first shot and sat for a good portion of the 4th quarter when her coach decided to keep Coco Miller and Crystal Robinson on the floor. Beard was guarded by Douglas for much of the game, but did not feel her opponent shut her down on her own.

"Katie didn't guard me," Beard said. "It wasn't a matter of Katie's defense. If anything it was great team defense. I would never give all credit to Katie, I'm sorry. It was just a matter of me having an off night. I missed shots, rushed shots, and that's what happened."