UNCASVILLE — The Connecticut Sun, facing a quick turnaround and a rested opponent, lost for the third time in four games, a 77-74 decision to the Atlanta Dream at Mohegan Sun Arena Friday night.
“When you’re playing the second half of a back to back, execution has to be paramount,” Sun coach Stephanie White said. “And they did a better job of executing in that second half.”
Allisha Gray scored 17 points, making key plays down the stretch, and UConn’s Tina Charles scored 14, with six rebounds, to lead Atlanta (7-9). The Sun (14-4) got 17 points from DeWanna Bonner, 15 from DiJonai Carrington and 14, with seven assists and seven rebounds, from Alyssa Thomas, but was not as on-point defensively as one is used to seeing them.
“We probably, as a staff, could have done a better job of utilizing our bench,” White said. “We might have run out of gas in that second half.”
Neither team could separate itself by more than five points during the course of the game. After 16 lead changes and 11 ties, the Dream took control in the final 2 1/2 minutes, with Charles hitting a 15-foot fade-away jumper and Gray hitting another short jumper to make it 70-67. Then Gray made a steal on the defensive end, and Jordin Canada finished the sequence with two free throws at the other end to give Atlanta a five-point lead.
“I just try to be as aggressive as possible,” Charles told reporters. “(Coach Tanisha Wright) give me a lot of confidence.”
Charles, formerly of the Sun and New York Liberty, who returned to the league after a year out, hit two free throws with 10.3 seconds left, and Canada hit two more with 5.8 to prevent any last-second heroics.
“Often times, in this league, no matter where you are in your career, it’s finding the right situation,” White said. “And (Charles) is in a place where they are utilizing her in a way that’s to her advantage and she’s producing. She spent time getting her body right and getting ready to come back into this league and being effective, and she does a really good job of leading this young group navigate some of the challenges.”
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The schedule-makers did the Sun no favors this week, scheduling them at Washington, where they won in overtime Thursday night. After arriving home about 3 a.m. Friday, they were right back in action against Atlanta — a tough turnaround, even with charter flights. Moreover, Connecticut had four games in seven days, including games at Las Vegas and Seattle, since last June 21.
“I’m excited to compete,” Bonner said. “… But four in seven, that’s crazy. That’s a lot of games.”
The Dream, meanwhile, hadn’t played since Sunday. Having lost by 19 to the Sun in Atlanta on June 2, Atlanta had the advantage this time around.
But the Sun, finding themselves in another fight, used their depth, using nine of 10 available players in the early minutes, and engaged, hitting 8 of 16 first quarter shots. Tiffany Mitchell’s steal-and-score and Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s pull-up jumper pulled Connecticut even at 19 as the first quarter ended.
The Sun’s defense took hold in the second quarter, holding the Dream to 5 for 18 from the floor, and they edged out to five-point lead before Gray’s three cut it to 33-31 at the half. Fatigue appeared to set in for Connecticut in the third quarter, the Dream converting six turnovers into easy baskets, scoring on the break and backdoor cuts, taking a 57-56 lead into the fourth, by which time there had been 12 lead changes.
Carrington, heating up in the second half, hit a three to put the Sun back on top 61-58 with under eight minutes to play. The game was tied again, at 62, with 4:15 left, but Atlanta had the finishing kick.
“They took advantage, they did a really good job of staying in motion, attacking and finding the next pass and finding the best shot on the floor,” White said. “Winning in this league is hard, night after night, compact schedule. Washington and Atlanta, whatever their records may be, they’re in every game. It’s the nature of this league.”