Alyssa Thomas and the Connecticut Sun were happy to finally close out an opening round series at home in two games.

Thomas had 19 points and 13 assists to help the Sun sweep Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever out of the playoffs with an 87-81 win Wednesday night.

Since the league changed its playoff format in 2022 the Sun have needed to win a decisive third game on the road in the first round to advance, which they did both years. This time were able to do it at home.

“Finally locked in and took advantage of homecourt advantage,” said Thomas, who had a triple-double in the Game 1 win. “We’re ready. Tested tonight and it wasn’t pretty, but that’s the nature of playoffs. We pulled out a gutsy win. We’re hungry and ready. ... We’re ready for what the playoff journey is going to unfold.”

The third-seeded Sun will now face either Minnesota or Phoenix in the semifinals which begin Sunday.

Clark played much better in Game 2 than she did in her postseason debut Sunday. The AP Rookie of the Year finished with 25 points and nine assists, but it wasn’t enough.

“Obviously it’s a tough one, especially as we climbed all the way back in and just to have our opportunities late,” Clark said.

Sun guard Carrington wins Most Improved

Connecticut Sun guard DiJonai Carrington won the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award, the league announced Wednesday.

Carrington received 28 of the 67 votes from a national media panel. Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby finished second with 18 votes. Minnesota’s Bridget Carleton came in third with 15.

The Sun guard averaged career highs of 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals this season. In addition, she recorded a career-high 25 games with 10 or more points.

NFL

49ers’ McCaffrey to see specialist in Germany

San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey went to Germany to consult with a specialist about his Achilles tendinitis.

Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made the trip in hopes of resolving an issue that has bothered him since early in training camp and has forced him onto injured reserve to start the season.

McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis before the season opener Sept. 9 against the Jets.

Broncos suffer loss of top tackler Singleton

The Denver Broncos suffered a big blow with word that top tackler Alex Singleton’s season is over because of a torn ACL.

Coach Sean Payton announced the bad news after the team’s first practice at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, where the Broncos (1-2) are working out ahead of their grudge match Sunday at the Meadowlands against the New York Jets (2-1).

The Broncos’ starting inside linebacker and defensive captain, Singleton was injured in the first half of Denver’s 26-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend but played all 57 defensive snaps and led the Broncos with 10 tackles.

“I couldn’t tell” he was hurting, fellow defensive captain Patrick Surtain II said. “I mean, he played lights out with a missing ACL. That’s a testament to the type of player he is. Alex, he’s a true competitor … and seeing a guy out there just give it all for his team speaks volumes for the type of person he is.”

Favre says diagnosis came in January

Brett Favre was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in January after he began having trouble using his right arm and was unable to hold a screwdriver steady, the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback said in an interview with TMZ Sports.

Favre disclosed he has the disease Tuesday as part of his testimony to a congressional committee about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi.

Favre said he suspected something was wrong when his right arm would get “stuck.” He said he didn’t notice a decrease in strength but was unable to hold a screwdriver with one hand. He said he notified his physician about the problem when he struggled to put on a jacket.

Favre said five Parkinson’s specialists told him they believed head trauma played a role in his developing the disease.

“Well, hell, I wrote the book on head trauma,” said Favre, who once estimated he had “thousands” of concussions.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

UNLV QB, without promised $100K, sits out

The convoluted way college athletes are paid for the use of their name, image and likeness and a dispute between player and coaches over money appears to have cost an undefeated team its quarterback three games into the season.

UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka has decided to sit out the rest of the season over a $100,000 NIL payment that was promised but never paid after he agreed to transfer to the Rebels from Holy Cross last winter, Sluka’s agent told The Associated Press.

NBA

James duo scrimmaging with Lakers

LeBron James and his son, Bronny, are already scrimmaging with the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers during voluntary offseason workouts. JJ Redick and his coaching staff are planning and discussing the moment early in the new season when a father and son will share an NBA court for the first time.

The Lakers haven’t announced or decided how long Bronny, who will turn 20 during training camp, will be on the NBA roster with his famous father, who turns 40 in December.

Although the front office hasn’t confirmed it, Bronny James seems likely to spend much of the upcoming season in the G League developing his skills. He played in only 25 games during his sole season at the University of Southern California after recovering from cardiac arrest during an offseason workout.

BRIEFLY

NHL >> Jakub Vrana is back in Washington Capitals camp on a professional tryout agreement six years after he helped them win the Stanley Cup.

Basketball >> The court at the nation’s first high school with a curriculum designed around a career in basketball will be named for New York Knicks All-Star Julius Randle.

— From news services