UNCASVILLE — The Connecticut Sun finished a difficult season, in more ways than one, with an 88-72 loss to the Atlanta Dream, who finished first in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference.
The Sun (11-33) completed the league’s expanded 44-game schedule with the worst winning percentage (.250) in franchise history, dipping below 2013, when the Sun were 10-24, a .294 percentage. Connecticut’s string of playoff appearances ended after six years; the franchise has made the playoffs in 15 of its 22 seasons since moving to Mohegan Sun from Orlando.
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Several of the Sun players had notable individual accomplishments, punctuated in the season finale, including Marina Mabrey (22 points, five assists) Tina Charles (nine points) and rookies Saniya Rivers (16 points) and Aneesah Morrow (11).
The Dream (30-14), second only to the Western champion Lynx, jumped on the Sun from the tip. Rhyne Howard scored eight quick points to help build a 31-13 lead after one quarter. Atlanta was 11 for 17 from the floor over the first 10 minutes, and continued the rout in the second quarter, stretching the lead out to 39-15.
Britney Griner came off the bench to score 11 points, with five rebounds in the half as the Dream took a 51-28 lead into the locker room. Mabrey had nine and Charles, who set a Suns record for points in a season, eight in the first half. Charles received the Dawn Staley award for community impact before the gane.
Meanwhile, Rivers set a franchise record for made 3-pointers with the expanded schedule. Mabrey’s 3-pointer cut the Dream lead down to 13, and the Sun chipped away to within single digits before Atlanta regained control, restored its lead to 13 at the end of the third quarter and controlled the remainder of the game..
