Connecticut Sun guard Alyssa Thomas criticized Mohegan Sun, the casino resort responsible for hosting the WNBA team’s games, for allegedly not prioritizing their playoff preparations, revealing that their practice before Game 1 coincided with a birthday party being held on their practice court.
The Sun play their games at Mohegan Sun Arena, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose venue within the Mohegan Sun casino resort, where they faced the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of the WNBA playoffs.
In an interview with The Next prior to Game 1, Alyssa Thomas shared her frustration about the Sun having to share their practice space with a community event, specifically a birthday party, right before their crucial playoff game.
“It’s normal at this point. I mean, Mohegan has to do better,” Thomas said. “We’re [a] professional team. We’re competing for playoffs. And yeah, to have to share your court with a two-year-old[‘s] birthday party, [it’s the] ultimate disrespect.”
“We need more, we need better to compete at the highest level.”
Despite the situation, the Sun delivered a dominant 93-69 victory in Game 1 against the Fever.
Thomas displayed her playmaking skills, securing a triple-double with 12 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, though she struggled from the field, shooting just 6-for-15.
Marina Mabrey made WNBA playoff history by scoring 27 points off the bench, the most by a reserve player, on 9-for-20 shooting, including 5-for-12 from three-point range. She also hit all four of her free throws, adding three assists and three rebounds.
DeWanna Bonner contributed 22 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. She shot 7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-3 from three and was perfect from the line, going 6-for-6.
On the Fever's side, Caitlin Clark had a tough game, managing just 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting, including 2-for-13 from deep, though she did add eight assists and four rebounds.
Alyssa Thomas has consistently voiced concerns about practice facilities
Alyssa Thomas has been outspoken about the need for the Sun to have their own dedicated practice facilities, especially as the WNBA continues to grow. Earlier this season, before the Sun played a game at Boston’s TD Garden against the LA Sparks, she discussed the Sun’s facility needs with The Next.
“We need our own practice facility and things like that because the time is now and people want to come and stay in the cities and train like that,” Alyssa Thomas said.
“And I’ve been here 11 years and yes, we’ve made changes, but a lot of things still have so much room for improvement. And women’s basketball is hot right now and so many people want to support what we’re doing."
The Boston game was a sell-out, with 19,156 tickets sold, marking the highest attendance for a regular-season game in Connecticut Sun history.
The Sun have been one of the best teams in the league, having made the playoffs every year since 2017.