By Visarion Cika –
The Connecticut Sun return to Mohegan Sun Arena on Monday night as they host the New York Liberty in a matchup between two teams heading in different directions early in the WNBA season. The Liberty enter the contest with a 7-4 record and are riding a four-game winning streak, while the Sun look to improve upon their 2-10 mark and build momentum in front of their home crowd. New York has established itself as one of the league’s top contenders behind a talented roster led by Breanna Stewart, while Connecticut continues to develop its young core and search for consistency.
In the first quarter, Marine Johannes and Breanna Stewart led the way for New York offensively. Liberty controlled the glass and moved the ball effectively, building an early advantage through its rebounding and assist totals. For Connecticut, Aaliyah Edwards made her presence felt on the defensive end, while Diamond Miller knocked down a three-pointer late in the quarter to trim the deficit. Despite the Sun’s efforts, the Liberty held a 23-18 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Charlisse Leger-Walker provided a spark for the Sun, contributing on both ends of the floor. Aaliyah Edwards continued to battle defensively, while chipping in offensively as Connecticut worked to cut into the deficit and build momentum. Nell Angloma also contributed with a pair of free throws and a basket, helping keep the Sun within striking distance. For New York, Satou Sabally joined Breanna Stewart and Marine Johannes in leading the offense, scoring seven points in the first half.
The Sun continued to fight their way back and narrowed the deficit to just three points before halftime. Despite Connecticut’s strong second-quarter effort, the Liberty carried a 38-35 lead into the break. The Sun looked to come out strong in the second half as they attempted to finish the job on their home floor.
The Sun struggled on both ends of the floor to open the third quarter, as the Liberty went on a 7-0 run to begin the second half. Han Xu and Pauline Astier got things started with key baskets, while Breanna Stewart added a three-pointer to help New York extend its lead.
Connecticut responded behind the efforts of Saniya Rivers, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, and Leïla Lacan, who helped cut into the deficit and keep the Sun within striking distance. Nell Angloma provided one of the quarter’s biggest moments with an energetic and-one finish that shifted momentum in Connecticut’s favor, while Nelson-Ododa continued to do work in the paint as the Sun looked to grind their way back into the game.
Despite Connecticut’s resilience, New York’s offensive firepower proved difficult to contain. The Liberty maintained control and carried a 65-56 lead into the fourth quarter. The Sun will look to make one final push in the closing period as they attempt to rally on their home floor.
Diamond Miller got the fourth quarter started with a huge three-pointer, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa continued to be relentless in the paint, battling hard against Breanna Stewart and giving the Liberty star all she could handle. Saniya Rivers continued to make an impact on both ends of the floor, helping keep Connecticut within striking distance.
Aaliyah Edwards provided one of the night’s most memorable moments with a powerful and-one finish, celebrating with a passionate fan as the Mohegan Sun Arena crowd came to life. The fourth quarter featured plenty of physical play and whistles, but Edwards came up with a key charge that helped swing momentum in Connecticut’s favor.
The Sun refused to go away, battling until the final minutes and cutting the deficit to five points with just 46 seconds remaining. However, Stewart delivered a crushing putback basket with 25 seconds left to extend New York’s lead back to seven and put the game out of reach. Connecticut continued to fight, but the Liberty held on for an 89-80 victory, improving their record and extending their winning streak to five games.
The Sun will return to action on Wednesday when they travel to face the Toronto Tempo, while the Liberty head to Atlanta on Thursday for a matchup against the Dream.