Sun coach reveals reason for Alyssa Thomas benching vs. Liberty

Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White benched star forward Alyssa Thomas during the critical fourth quarter of Tuesday's 82-74 loss to the New York Liberty. Despite Thomas's impressive performance with 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists in just 23 minutes, she was notably absent from the most pivotal part of the game. White addressed the decision postgame, explaining that it was part of a broader strategy to manage Thomas's playing time as she prepares for her first Olympic Games with Team USA. “AT's competitive and she wants to play, so if you ask her she's going to want to be out there all the time,” White said, as reported by Emily Adams of the Hartford Courant.