By Tiffany Williams –
On Friday night, the Connecticut Sun (3-17) fell to the Seattle Storm (13-8), 79-65, in their second matchup in three days at Climate Pledge Arena. With the loss, the Sun drop to 1-2 against the Storm during the 2025 regular season. The two teams will meet one final time on July 28 in Uncasville.
Tina Charles led the Sun with her second consecutive double-double, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds. With her performance, the WNBA veteran surpassed 8,000 career points, becoming just the second player in league history to reach the milestone. She now has 8,010 career points, ranking second all-time behind Diana Taurasi.
Rookie guard Saniya Rivers matched her career high with 12 points, adding two rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Rivers has now recorded at least one steal in nine straight games and has notched 2+ steals in 11 games this season.
Fellow rookie Leila Lacan added a career-high 10 points and seven rebounds, along with one assist, in a career-high 32 minutes off the bench. Olivia Nelson-Ododa also finished in double figures with 10 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block.
The Sun outscored the Storm 22-12 in the paint in the first half and 38-28 overall. Their frontcourt, led by Charles and Nelson-Ododa, was effective early — but without consistent perimeter shooting, the Storm adjusted defensively and packed the interior.
Rivers and Lacan brought intensity and sparks of momentum, but veteran guards struggled to manage game tempo and control possessions late. Connecticut’s backcourt is missing a stabilizing playmaker, especially when pressure mounts.
Despite out rebounding Seattle 35-28, the Sun failed to capitalize in transition. They had just 4 fast break points, which speaks to a slower pace and failure to convert stops into momentum.
With the season reaching its midpoint, Connecticut must find a way to reduce turnovers, improve three-point shooting, and establish reliable guard play if they hope to turn things around.
Silver lining: With rookies showing growth and Tina Charles continuing to perform at a Hall of Fame level, there are pieces to build on — but time is running out to put them together.