By Tiffany Williams –
Boston, MA — The Connecticut Sun are currently 1-1 against the Indiana Fever this season. In their most recent matchup on June 17 in Indianapolis, Connecticut dropped their final Commissioner’s Cup game, 88-71. Tina Charles led the Sun with 20 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one block, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Jaelyn Brown chipped in a season-high 13 points. The game slipped away after a strong start, with Indiana’s second and third-quarter runs creating a gap the Sun couldn’t close.
Charles opened the game with 10 of her 20 points in the first quarter, keeping Connecticut within one after the opening frame. In the second, Nelson-Ododa was the spark early, but a 10-4 Indiana run widened the margin. At the half, the Fever led 47-39. Marina Mabrey opened the third with a layup, but the Fever again responded with a key run. Despite the Sun cutting the lead to 10 in the fourth, Indiana held firm. Caitlin Clark paced Indiana with 20 points and six assists, while Natasha Howard recorded a double-double.
In the teams’ first 2025 meeting on May 30, the Sun claimed their first win of the season with a gritty 85-83 road victory. Mabrey starred with 26 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block. Charles followed with 18 points, while Saniya Rivers posted career highs with 12 points, six assists, and three made threes. The Sun built a 15-point second-half lead only to see the Fever storm back. Rivers calmly hit two clutch free throws, and Kelsey Mitchell missed a potential game-tying shot with two seconds left.
The Sun have dominated Indiana historically, holding a 59-33 edge in the all-time series and a 33-11 record at home. Connecticut has won 13 straight regular season home games against the Fever, dating back to June 5, 2016.
Indiana, meanwhile, is riding momentum after a 102-83 win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday. Kelsey Mitchell poured in 20 points, and Caitlin Clark added a double-double with 14 points and 13 assists. The Fever close out the first half of the season with a back-to-back, traveling to New York to face the Liberty on Wednesday.
In recent action, the Sun have continued to show fight despite their record. On July 13, they narrowly fell 92-88 to the Los Angeles Sparks. Bria Hartley delivered her best game in years, notching 25 points, six assists, and four threes. Saniya Rivers had a career-high 20 points, adding six rebounds and three steals. Jacy Sheldon chipped in 11 points. Connecticut led at the half but couldn’t close, as the Sparks rode 23 points from Kelsey Plum and a double-double from Azura Stevens to seal the win.
On July 11, Connecticut dropped a 79-65 decision to the Seattle Storm in a game that marked a historic milestone for Charles, who became just the second player in WNBA history to eclipse 8,000 career points. She finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Rivers again tied her career-high with 12 points, while rookie Leila Lacan posted 10 points and seven rebounds in her best showing yet. Connecticut led by as many as seven but was outscored 24-13 in the fourth as Seattle pulled away.
Two days prior, on July 9, the Sun delivered their most complete performance of the season in a 93-83 home win over Seattle on Camp Day. Charles was dominant with 29 points and 11 boards. Jacy Sheldon added a season-high 16 points, including four three-pointers, and Bria Hartley added 15—all in the first half. Rivers posted 11 points, seven assists, and four steals. Leila Lacan had eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and rookie forward. Aneesah Morrow contributed six points and seven rebounds. Connecticut erased a 14-point deficit with a dominant second half, outscoring the Storm 52-34.
Playing under the bright lights of TD Garden, Connecticut has an opportunity to reset the tone of their season and deliver a statement win on a national stage.
The Sun have shown flashes of cohesion and resilience this season, particularly in their recent victory over the Seattle Storm and narrow loss to the Sparks. Tina Charles remains the anchor of the team, delivering consistent double-doubles, while rookie Saniya Rivers is emerging as a dynamic two-way guard. Bria Hartley’s recent 25-point performance is another bright spot, indicating that when Connecticut is clicking, they can hang with anyone.
However, consistency continues to elude them. Scoring droughts, defensive breakdowns, and turnovers have plagued their close losses. With Marina Mabrey sidelined due to a knee injury, the Sun are missing a key scorer and perimeter threat, increasing pressure on others to step up.
Clark is not just a scorer; she’s an elite facilitator. In her last outing, she dished out 13 assists, many of which came in transition or off pick-and-roll action. The Sun need to disrupt her rhythm early by showing different looks defensively—hard hedges, traps off screens, and switching to keep her uncomfortable. Force her into tough shots instead of allowing drive-and-kick plays that create wide-open threes for Mitchell, Boston, or Smith.
In both matchups against Indiana this season, Tina Charles and Olivia Nelson-Ododa have had success scoring inside and hitting the offensive glass. The Fever’s frontcourt, while talented, can be beaten off the dribble and outmuscled on second-chance opportunities. Connecticut needs to feed Charles early and often to establish inside presence, crash the boards with Nelson-Ododa and Rivers to create second-chance opportunities, and use physicality to get Aliyah Boston into early foul trouble, disrupting Indiana’s interior defense.
Turnovers have been a recurring problem for the Sun, especially in crunch time. Against a Fever team that capitalizes on mistakes and excels in transition, careless passes and rushed possessions could be costly. The Sun needs to prioritize ball security, especially when Clark is pressing or doubling. The need to make smart entry passes into the post and avoid dribbling into traps, the need to keep the tempo under control, and avoid rushed possessions late in quarters.
Rivers’ energy and defense spark the Sun when she’s active and engaged. Her ability to jump passing lanes, push the pace, and slash to the basket offers the Sun an X-factor, especially with Mabrey out. Connecticut should run sets to free Rivers for early looks—whether on cuts, handoffs, or open threes. Let her initiate offense in spurts, especially if Clark is guarding her, forcing Indiana’s star to work on both ends, and allow her to pressure the ball full court and disrupt the Fever’s rhythm.
In multiple recent games, Connecticut has either lost leads or fallen apart late. Against Seattle, they were outscored 24-13 in the fourth. Against LA, they came up just short in the final three minutes. To flip the script, Connecticut has to tighten the defensive rotations in the closing minutes, use Tina Charles as a closer—whether through iso sets or pick-and-pop opportunities, and practice late-game execution in shootaround and walkthroughs, emphasizing communication and clock awareness.
This game isn’t just another stop on the schedule—it’s a marquee event. With national TV coverage, a pregame block party, and thousands of fans in a historic venue, the Sun must channel that energy into confidence and urgency. Last season’s TD Garden game was a sellout. If Connecticut can ride the crowd momentum and control the tempo early, it could be the boost they need to overcome Indiana.
The Fever may be the more consistent and healthier team on paper, but the Sun have enough talent to pull off the upset. The path to victory hinges on high-effort defense, rebounding dominance, disciplined playmaking, and timely execution. If Connecticut can limit their mistakes and make this game a grind, they’ll have every chance to head into the All-Star break with a momentum-building win.