UNCASVILLE, Conn. ― A dominant second-half performance from Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum spoiled the Connecticut Sun’s first game back from the WNBA All-Star break.
The four-time All-Star scored 19 of her 30 points in the second half, making six of seven from the field and hitting both her three-point attempts to power the Sparks to their 10th win of the season, 101-86, over the Sun on Thursday.
“(We) just couldn’t contain her,” Sun forward Tina Charles said of Plum after the game. “She got to her spots, she’s a great player (and a) great finisher. She did what she wanted to do out there.
“The challenge was not for the person who was guarding her, but for all of us. It was a team collective of what she was able to do… Kelsey Plum just took it to us.”
The Sun (3-20) will host the Golden State Valkyries in their next game on Sunday, July 27 at 1 p.m.
Charles had the Sun rolling early with seven points and a dished out a smooth assist to Olivia Nelson-Ododa to help Connecticut take a 15-9 lead midway through the first.
Los Angeles soon closed the gap and briefly led by one with two minutes left in the quarter. But back-to-back threes from Marina Mabrey and Jacy Sheldon put the Sun up five entering the second. Charles shot a perfect four-for-four in the quarter and finished with nine points.
The Sparks flipped their five-point deficit into a six-point lead behind an 11-0 run arely a minute into the second. Back-to-back threes from Julie Vanloo highlighted Los Angeles’ run, but Charles and Hartley helped the Sun keep up with the visitors. Connecticut remained in striking distance throughout the second and got back to within one by halftime.
Charles led all scorers with 14 points at the break, with Hartley adding 12 points as well. Dearica Hamby and Azurá Stevens matched Plum with 11 points for the Sparks.
The Sun’s deficit remained within one possession early in the second half, but an 11-3 run soon put the Sparks ahead by nine midway through the third. Los Angeles’ lead climbed to as many as 12 and entered the fourth with a comfortable, nine-point advantage.
Connecticut struggled to trim the lead early in the fourth and the visitors’ advantage soon climbed out of reach, handing the Sun their 14th double-digit loss of the year.
The Sun entered the break the worst record in the league at 3-19, losing 13 of their last 14 games played. Connecticut’s woes have been evident on both sides of the court, with the league’s worst offense (72.7 points per game, 39.9% field goal percentage through the first 22 games) and the worst defense (88.0 opponent points per game, 46.4% opponent field goal percentage).
But as Charles noted, there were signs of progress in the Sun’s final games before the break.
“The way that we ended the (first) half ― yes, we’ve been losing, but it’s just how we’ve been losing,” Charles said after morning shootaround. “(Losing by) single-digits, not 30, 40, 50 points. That’s just really locking in on offensive schemes, defensive schemes.
“We’re getting closer to where we want to be and who we want to be night in and night out, who is getting engaged with the rotations that we have.”
But for a franchise as competitive as the Sun have been throughout their history, the current situation facing the team is stark in contrast.
For just the fourth time in the Sun’s 23-year history, they have lost 20 or more games, with this season being their first since 2016; the franchise never lost 20 games during its four-year period as the Orlando Sol.
The worst record in franchise history was set in 2013, with a league-worst 10-24 record and a winning percentage of .294. Connecticut would need to win at least 10 of its final 21 games to avoid setting a new mark.
Marina Mabrey returns from left knee injury
Sun guard Marina Mabrey returned to action, coming off the bench in her first game back from a left knee injury that has kept her sidelined since Jun. 20.
Mabrey entered early in the first quarter to a loud roar of approval from the Sun fans. The sharpshooter appreciated the love and support of the home crowd, making a heart sign with her hands as she walked onto the court.
But the seventh-year veteran struggled to find her shooting touch, shooting just two of 12 from field and two of eight from beyond the arc in 25 minutes played.
Sun coach Rachid Meziane highlighted the importance of getting Mabrey on the court and back to speed while prioritizing her health with a minutes restriction.
“25 minutes was her target… we will need (Mabrey) in our future, so it was important to put her on the court and our next game is coming very fast, so it’s not like we have the time to practice again,” Meziane said. “It was important to put her on the court. We created a lot of open shots for her. She missed them (tonight, but) I know Marina, she will score them next time.
“Defensively, she needs to find her rhythm, (but) I think that she did what she’s supposed to do, just work on her efficiency for the next time.”
Tina Charles adds another double-double
Charles finished with a team-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, recording her fifth double-double of the season and her fourth in her last five games.
The league’s all-time leader in double-doubles raises her career total to 199 in 453 games played, tying her with five-time All-Star and five-time WNBA Champion, Rebekkah Brunson, for 14th all-time in games played.
Before the game, Charles was honored by the franchise for crossing 8,000 career points during the Sun’s game against the Seattle Storm on Jul. 11.
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