Sun snap Liberty’s eight-game win streak
Brooklyn, NY (August 24, 2024)- Tonight, the Connecticut Sun (22-7) defeated the New York Liberty (25-5), 72-64, in Brooklyn. The Sun take home their first win against the Liberty during the regular season since July 19, 2022 and their first regular season win in New York since May 17, 2022. Connecticut also snapped New York’s eight game win streak dating back to July 10.
Marina Mabrey led Connecticut in scoring for the second straight game, notching 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and one steal in the win. DiJonai Carrington added 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block, while DeWanna Bonner notched her third double-double of the 2024 season with 10 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa provided a spark off the bench for Connecticut tallying a season-high 12 points, four rebounds and two blocks. She was able to draw three and-one opportunities and finished +14 in the win. Brionna Jones rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points, six rebounds and one steal.
After being outscored 25-20 in the first quarter, the Sun outscored the Liberty, 52-39, the rest of the way. The Sun held the Liberty to 22.2 points under their season average as the Liberty entered the game averaging 86.2 points per game- second best in the WNBA. The Sun shot 41.7% (30-72) from the field while holding the Liberty to 36.9% (24-65) from the floor on the night.
New York was paced by Breanna Stewart who finished with a double-double, notching 15 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks. The Liberty committed 19 turnovers which resulted in 21 points for the Sun.
Game Runs:
1H: Connecticut found themselves off to a slow start offensively, trailing New York, 12-6, heading into the first media timeout of the game. A 14-13 close to the first by the Sun cut the deficit to five, 25-20, heading into the second quarter. The Sun began to gel offensively in the second, going on an 11-2 run to begin the quarter and taking a 31-27 lead over the Liberty with 6:05 play to in the first half. Connecticut led by as many as six in the second quarter, but New York closed the half on an 11-9 spurt to cut the Sun’s lead to two, 40-38, heading into the locker room.
2H: The Sun stormed out of the half time break on an 11-4 run forcing the Liberty into a timeout with 6:13 to play in the third, 51-42. New York responded on a 5-2 spurt to cut Connecticut’s lead to six, 53-47, with 4:16 to go in the quarter. A 6-5 close in the final four minutes of the third gave the Sun a 59-52 advantage heading into the fourth. Connecticut began the fourth on a 7-1 run to push their lead back up to 13, 66-53, with 5:46 to play in the game. New York responded on a 5-0 run to close the gap to eight, 66-58, with 4:47 remaining in the quarter. Both teams notched six points in the closing minutes with the Sun coming away with the 72-64 win.
Notes:
- Brionna Jones notched her ninth straight outing in double-figures, marking the third longest 10+ point outing streak of her career.
- With 12 rebounds on the night, DeWanna Bonner moved into ninth all-time in rebounding in WNBA history, passing Taj McWilliams-Franklin. She also moved into eighth all-time in rebounding in Sun history, passing Katie Douglas.
- New York grabbed 44 rebounds, marking the most rebounds a Connecticut opponent has tallied this season.
- Alyssa Thomas dished out eight assists in the win, marking her third straight game tallying 8+ assists. It marked the 19th time she notched at least seven assists in a game this year, which leads the WNBA.
- The Sun outscored the Liberty in the paint (46-28), on the fast break (13-7) and from the bench (29-6). The Liberty held the advantage in second chance opportunities, 13-8.
- Tonight’s win marks the Sun’s first win this season when comes off zero days rest. Their final back-to-back coming on August 31st (WAS)/September 1st (SEA).
| Team | Score | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | PTS | REB | AST |
| CON | 72 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 13 | Mabrey- 15 | Bonner- 12 | Thomas- 8 |
| NYL | 64 | 25 | 13 | 14 | 12 | Stewart- 15 | Stewart- 15 | Vandersloot- 5 |
NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun head to Indianapolis to take on the Indiana Fever on Wednesday, August 28 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.