Tina Charles (No. 31) of the Connecticut Sun had another masterful performance against the Washington Mystics in a 67-56 win at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Photo: Josh Davey | The Podium Finish)
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Tina Charles delivered a steady, veteran performance while Aaliyah Edwards supplied youthful energy as the Connecticut Sun built an early lead and only trailed once by two in a 67-56 victory over the Washington Mystics on Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Charles finished with 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting and six rebounds, while Edwards added 10 points and five boards off the bench. Connecticut (8-27) notched its second straight win, following a road victory over Washington earlier in the week, and tightened its grip on postseason positioning as the regular season winds toward its close.
“It brings me great joy just because of where we started, just where we are now, the fact that we’re able to put it together,” Charles said of the back-to-back victories. “And not just us as a team, but also for Rachid [Meziane, Connecticut Sun head coach]. It has to be hard to take losses the way that we have and being a new coach coming to the WNBA, but I think just his personality, him not giving up, his great energy, and just holding himself accountable forced us to be better at the same time. So it’s just great to see it all come together right now.”
The Sun leaned on Charles early who scored on two of the first three plays of the game, including a midrange jumper assisted by Bria Hartley, to answer Washington’s opening free throws. Charles teamed with Marina Mabrey and rookie forward Aneesah Morrow to push the Sun in front 6-2 after a quick exchange of buckets.
Marina Mabrey (No. 3) of the Connecticut Sun made her presence known against the Washington Mystics. (Photo: Josh Davey | The Podium Finish)
Washington (16-20) briefly closed within 6-4 on a Sonia Citron driving layup, but Mabrey’s response at the rim and another Charles bucket gave Connecticut a four-point cushion. From there, the Sun tightened defensively, forcing three early turnovers while holding the Mystics scoreless for nearly three minutes.
Morrow made her presence felt midway through the first quarter with a steal and a second-chance basket to put the Sun up 10-4. After Shakira Austin converted inside, Connecticut countered with free throws from Charles and Edwards to restore momentum. A flurry of offensive rebounds from Charles and Edwards extended possessions, while Saniya Rivers chipped in with steady defense off the bench. By the end of the first, Connecticut held a 16-11 lead.
The second quarter highlighted the Sun’s depth. Rivers drained a three-pointer and Edwards buried a midrange jumper in back-to-back trips. Even as Washington’s Stefanie Dolson connected from deep and Citron hit midrange jumpers, the Sun responded through Edwards’ inside scoring and Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s steady midrange touch.
Nelson-Ododa’s block on Austin and her jumper on the ensuing possession pushed the Sun’s advantage to 28-16. Connecticut kept Washington at bay with strong rebounding and timely baskets, including Rivers’ drive late in the half. Even when the Mystics pieced together a small run behind Iriafen’s free throws and Citron’s perimeter shooting, Mabrey calmly sank a pair at the line to give Connecticut a 33-26 halftime edge.
Edwards, who had faced Charles years earlier when Charles returned to UConn practices, savored the chance to now share the court with the veteran star.
Aaliyah Edwards (No. 8) is enjoying her latest opportunity with Tina Charles and the Connecticut Sun. (Photo: Josh Davey | The Podium Finish)
“I think it’s great playing with Tina,” Edwards said. “I feel like when I was in college, we really started our relationship there when she would come back. So playing alongside her now feels better than playing against her. The beauty of it is I just get to learn against a [future] Hall of Famer, somebody who has experienced the longevity of this league, the ins and out of it, and somebody I can constantly tap into for knowledge. I call her my auntie, but she’ll be bowling now. That was a quiet little 21 tonight with the off foot. I don’t know how she’s doing it, but they’re going in.”
After the break, Charles asserted herself again, scoring Connecticut’s first four points of the third quarter to push the lead to nine. Morrow’s inside work extended the margin to double digits at 41-30 after her layup, and Leïla Lacan’s driving finish capped a 6-0 spurt.
Washington’s bench tried to rally, with Emily Engstler hitting a 3-pointer and Citron converting at the rim, but Charles responded each time. She drilled midrange jumpers on three straight possessions, finishing the period with 10 of Connecticut’s 23 third-quarter points. By the end of the frame, the Sun led 56-45, punctuated by a Mabrey jumper in the final seconds.
In the fourth, Washington trimmed the deficit to single digits on a Citron layup, but Olivia Nelson-Ododa answered with a three-point play off Mabrey’s feed. Edwards then went to work, grabbing rebounds and scoring on consecutive possessions to lift the lead to 62-47.
Even when Citron’s free throws cut the gap to 62-49, Edwards and Nelson-Ododa stabilized the Sun with defense and rebounding. Connecticut forced six Mystics turnovers in the final period, including a steal by Lacan that prevented Washington from gaining late momentum.
The Mystics were paced by Citron’s 15 points and Iriafen’s double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. But Washington struggled to shoot consistently, finishing 19-for-51 from the field and just 3-for-14 from beyond the arc.
The Sun, meanwhile, balanced Charles’ scoring with contributions across the roster. Mabrey recorded seven points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Lacan added five points and five assists. Nelson-Ododa posted eight points, four rebounds, two steals and a block in 18 strong minutes off the bench.
Connecticut Sun head coach Rachid Meziane was elated with his team’s hard fought victory over the Washington Mystics. (Photo: Josh Davey | The Podium Finish)
“We are here for win games, but we are also here for some emotion to our fan base,” Sun head coach Rachid Meziane said. “So I think today, more than just winning the game, we were connected with our fans. That’s not something easy, but today we built confidence and we keep working hard. The season is not finished. We have a lot of things to do with our team. We develop our young players. We just keep focused on the end of the season.”
Connecticut closed the night shooting 45 percent from the floor and outscoring Washington 30-20 in the paint. The Sun’s reserves added 25 points, highlighted by Edwards, Nelson-Ododa and Rivers, who combined for 25 points and seven assists.
Washington’s frustrations mounted as the game slipped away, committing 18 turnovers that Connecticut converted into 20 points. Despite solid efforts from Austin (six points, five rebounds) and Dolson (seven points, one 3-pointer), the Mystics couldn’t overcome Connecticut’s defensive intensity and Charles’ midrange mastery.
Next Sunrise
Connecticut head to the Windy City for a Saturday matinee showdown against the Chicago Sky (9-26) at 4 p.m. ET at Wintrust Arena.
Washington Mystics: By the Numbers
Sonia Citron (No. 22) of the Washington Mystics had another solid 15 point performance against the Connecticut Sun. (Photo: Josh Davey | The Podium Finish)
| Player | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakira Austin | 20 | 3-9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -9 | 6 |
| Kiki Iriafen | 27 | 4-7 | 0-0 | 5-6 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | -12 | 13 |
| Sug Sutton | 29 | 1-5 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | -8 | 4 |
| Sonia Citron | 31 | 5-9 | 1-2 | 4-4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | -6 | 15 |
| Jade Melbourne | 22 | 1-7 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -8 | 4 |
| Bench | ||||||||||||||
| Alysha Clark | 25 | 0-4 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -6 | 0 |
| Emily Engstler | 14 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 2-4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -9 | 5 |
| Stefanie Dolson | 17 | 3-4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | +8 | 7 |
| Lucy Olsen | 13 | 1-3 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -5 | 2 |
| Madison Scott | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Connecticut Sun: By the Numbers
Olivia Nelson-Ododa (No. 10) embraces Aaliyah Edwards (No. 8) after their Connecticut Sun squad defeated the Washington Mystics on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. (Photo: Josh Davey | The Podium Finish)
| Player | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aneesah Morrow | 24 | 3-9 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | +5 | 6 |
| Tina Charles | 22 | 9-14 | 0-1 | 3-4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +5 | 21 |
| Bria Hartley | 17 | 1-6 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +12 | 3 |
| Marina Mabrey | 37 | 3-9 | 0-2 | 1-2 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +7 | 7 |
| Leïla Lacan | 38 | 2-9 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | +11 | 5 |
| Bench | ||||||||||||||
| Aaliyah Edwards | 16 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 4-6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | +6 | 10 |
| Olivia Nelson-Ododa | 18 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +6 | 8 |
| Saniya Rivers | 28 | 3-10 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 7 |
