Connecticut beat the stuffing out of the shorthanded Comets. Whalen had nine assists; Taj had yet another double-double.

We're starting to wonder if Taj is our MVP candidate: there are plenty of ways to evaluate the race, and statistics alone wouldn't put her in front-- but they would put her in the running. If your criterion is "the most important player on the best team," then this year there are really just two candidates, and the other one has hardware coming out her ears (and, at the moment, a two-game losing streak).

Go read Lori Riley's remarkable profile of Taj, which takes the veteran from her struggles as a teen mom to her wins with the Sun. If not for a chance encounter in an Austin, Texas yogurt shop, she would have given up hoops long ago.

Coach Thibault explains how Taj helped build the team: "The off-the-court stuff had more influence the first couple years when we were struggling and had young players learning the game... What [Taj] has done is serve as a daily role model."

Nykesha Sales is still recovering: she may, or may not, miss the rest of the regular season. Keesh says the Sun's ability to win without her "allows me to take the time I need to really get better."