By Tiffany Williams –
The Connecticut Sun’s brutal season slogged on Monday night as they were buried 87-62 by the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena, dropping to 11-32 and just 1-3 against Atlanta this year. Their final shot at the Dream comes Wednesday, but if this meeting was any indication, it’s likely to be another uphill climb.
Saniya Rivers was the lone bright spot, leading the Sun with 16 points and four rebounds while also etching her name into the record books. Her 42nd three-pointer of the season broke the franchise rookie mark previously held by Sheri Sam. Aneesah Morrow chipped in 13 points and 14 rebounds for her seventh double-double, while veteran Tina Charles added 12. But beyond that trio, Connecticut’s offense was stuck in neutral, undone by another second-half collapse that has become all too familiar this season.
The Sun hung around early, even ending the first quarter on an 8-0 run to trail by just two. Rivers hit a buzzer-beating three to keep it close at halftime, 45-43. But when Atlanta punched to open the third, Connecticut never punched back. The Dream ripped off a 9-0 run, ballooned the lead to double digits, and by the time the Sun called a timeout down 61-51, the wheels had already come off. The bleeding only worsened as Atlanta strung together a 16-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters. What had been a tight game at the break became a laugher in minutes.
Atlanta looked faster, sharper, and hungrier. The Dream scored 52 points in the paint compared to Connecticut’s 26, turning defensive rebounds into fast-break daggers. Rhyne Howard led the way with 18 points, six assists, and five rebounds, while Allisha Gray poured in 15 and Naz Hillmon added 14 with four steals. Off the bench, Maya Caldwell and Brittney Griner provided a steady lift, making it five Dream players in double figures.
For the Sun, the story is becoming routine: stagnant shooting and little resistance when opponents turn up the tempo. Connecticut finished at 36.4 percent from the floor while Atlanta shot a crisp 47.3 percent. The Dream outscored the Sun 26-2 in transition, a staggering margin that underscored the disparity in energy and execution.
At 11-32, Connecticut is already looking toward the offseason, leaning on the flashes from its young core. Rivers’ shooting stroke and Morrow’s work on the glass offer hope for the future, but the present reality is harsh. Against a playoff-caliber Atlanta team playing with rhythm and depth, the Sun looked like what they are — a franchise searching for footing at the end of a long, punishing season.