Rebekkah Brunson finished Friday night's game against the Connecticut Sun at Arco Arena with 19 points and 10 rebounds. As the final seconds ticked away, it was evident that Brunson's efforts were not enough as the Monarchs lost 72-56.
Sacramento, which suffered its third consecutive home loss, dropped to 0-2 against Connecticut this season.
"We didn't play intense like we need to," Brunson said. "We definitely let them control this game, and that's something we can't do."
The Monarchs gave up the lead for good after a 14-foot jumper by Sun guard Amber Holt with six minutes remaining in the first quarter. In the second half, the Sun extended its lead to 18 points.
"We have done a good job both times of making (Kara) Lawson and (Nicole) Powell work for everything they get," Sun coach Mike Thibault said. "That was the biggest thing and got us running a little bit, too."
Powell finished with five points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field, and Lawson (four points) went 2 for 7. Overall, the Monarchs shot 34 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range.
"I just think we did not have it," Monarchs coach Jenny Boucek said. "We could not get it going, and I don't know why we had absolutely none of our energy."
Asjha Jones led the Sun with 14 points.
Forward Barbara Turner jump-started the Sun in the first quarter, making three three-pointers. She finished the half with a team-high 10 points.
In their May 24 game against the Sun, the Monarchs witnessed Turner's fluent three-point stroke. Turner shot 6 for 13 from three-point range and led all reserves with 17 points in an 87-64 Sun victory.
"We just wanted to take advantage of the fact that they helped a lot and didn't play the weak side," Turner said. "We did a good job of skipping (passing) the ball early and getting a lot of open shots."
The Sun shot 49 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Leading 42-33 at halftime, the Sun did not need to adjust its strategy. Thibault said he was happy with the way his team played in the first half, except for a few careless turnovers.
"We just got a little better at what we were trying to do," Thibault said. "Our defense got us through this game."
Meanwhile, the Monarchs sat in their locker room at halftime, searching for an answer on defense.
"I think, throughout the whole game, they got the looks they wanted to," Brunson said. "Even though we tried to make an adjustment in the second half, they still ran where they wanted to and did the things that they wanted to do."
The Sun outscored the Monarchs in every quarter. Connecticut's starters outscored Sacramento's 53-39. Brunson was the lone Monarch in double figures, while the Sun got double-digit scoring from three players.
"We have too many lapses, and they last for too long," Lawson said. "We have got to find a way when they go on a run to stop it. That comes from buckling down and being able to get stops."
With the win, the Sun finished its trip with a 3-2 record and heads home to face Detroit on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Monarchs have only a day to practice and address their defensive struggles before playing Chicago on Sunday night at Arco.
"For us to come out here and play like that, it was definitely disappointing," Brunson said. "We know what we need to do and what we have to work on to get it right."
