Sun Fall in Final Contest of 2025 to Dream, 88-72

Thu, Sep 11, 2025, 2:18 AM

Tina Charles breaks Sun franchise single season scoring record.

Uncasville, CT- Tonight, the Connecticut Sun (11-33) played their final contest of the 2025 season, falling to the Atlanta Dream (30-14), 88-72, at home in Uncasville. Connecticut trailed by as many as 24 in the game and battled back in the third quarter to cut it as close as nine points, but Atlanta ultimately prevailed in the two teams final regular season game of the season.

Marina Mabrey led the way for the Sun with 22 points, one rebound, five assists and one steal in 36 minutes played in the game. She finished 8/15 from the field and 4/4 from beyond the arc. Mabrey closes the 2025 regular season with nine 20+ point performances on the year, tying the most she has had in any season of her seven-year career (2024).

Veteran forward Tina Charles broke the Sun single season scoring record in tonight’s game, finishing with nine points, one rebound and two assists in 18 minutes of action. She surpassed DeWanna Bonner who had previously set the record in 2023 with 697 points. Charles finishes 2025 with 700 points on the year, the most she has scored in any season of her 14-year WNBA career.

Saniya Rivers notched 16 points, three rebounds, five assists and one steal in 36 minutes of action. With one steal in the game, Rivers finished her rookie campaign with 100 stocks (steals + blocks). She is the only rookie and joins A’ja Wilson, Gabby Williams, Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith and Ezi Magbegor as the only players to reach 100 stocks this season.

Aneesah Morrow rounded out her final game of her rookie season with a double-double, tallying 11 points 10 rebounds and one steal in 31 minutes played. Morrow finished with eight double-doubles in 2025 and led or co-led the Sun in rebounding on 20 occasions. She is just the second rookie in franchise history to finish their first season in the WNBA with at least 300 points and 280 rebounds, joining her teammate Tina Charles (528 points, 398 rebounds).

The Dream began the game on an 11-5 run forcing the Sun into a timeout with 6:58 to play in the first quarter. A 6-3 spurt from Connecticut closed the gap to three, 14-11, but Atlanta closed the first quarter on a 16-2 run to take a 31-13 lead into the second. The Sun kept it closer in the second quarter, but the Dream took a 51-28 lead into the locker room after winning the quarter, 20-15. Marina Mabrey had nine points, one rebound, three assists and one steal in the first half to pace the Sun in scoring.

Connecticut started the second half on a 14-10 run to close the gap to 19, 61-42, with 4:56 to play in the third quarter. Marina Mabrey and Saniya Rivers each notched four points to begin the half. The Sun went on an 8-2 run to cut the Dream’s lead to 13, 63-50, and force a timeout with 3:44 to go in the third. Connecticut was able to cut it to as close as nine in the quarter, 63-54, but Atlanta closed the third on an 8-5 run to take a 71-58 advantage into the fourth.

Atlanta began the fourth on a 7-4 run to force Connecticut into a timeout with 6:16 to go in the game, trailing 78-62. The Sun were not able to cut the deficit closer than 13 points in the fourth quarter, 81-68. The Dream won the final ten minutes, 17-14, and the contest, 88-72.

The Sun shot 35.6% (26/73) from the field and just 15% (3/20) from three-point territory, while the Dream finished 54.1% (33/61) from the floor and 37% (10/27) from three. Atlanta won the paint (36-30) and the bench production (34-10), but Connecticut controlled the second chance points (16-12) and fast break points (11-2).

Rhyne Howard and Brittney Griner each scored 17 points to lead the Dream to their 30-win of the season. Atlanta will enter the WNBA playoffs as either the No. 2 seed (with a Las Vegas loss tomorrow) or the No. 3 seed (with a Las Vegas win tomorrow).

Team Score Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 PTS REB AST
CON 72 13 15 30 14 Mabrey- 22 Morrow- 10 Rivers/Mabrey- 5
ATL 88 31 20 20 17 Griner/Howard- 17 Caldwell- 9 Paopao- 6