Connecticut Sun Fall to Los Angeles Sparks at Home, 101-86

Tina Charles (No. 31) of the Connecticut Sun scored 24 points with an efficient 10-18 FG against the Los Angeles Sparks. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)

UNCASVILLE Conn. — The Los Angeles Sparks used a dominant second half to pull away from the Connecticut Sun, handing them a decisive 101‑86 setback Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena. The loss dropped the Sun to 3‑20 and extended their skid to three straight, while Los Angeles improved to 10‑14 and claimed their fourth straight win.

Kelsey Plum scored 30 points on 10‑of‑15 shooting, including 4‑for‑7 from beyond the arc, and added six assists in a complete backcourt showcase. Dearica Hamby chipped in 20 points and 11 rebounds on 8‑of‑9 shooting. Azurá Stevens added 17 points and eight rebounds. All five Sparks starters reached double digits in scoring as L.A. shot a blistering 52.4 percent from the field and sank 12 threes on the night.

The Sun, led by Tina Charles’ 24 points and 10 rebounds, showed early life. Charles scored on a putback and earned trips to the line. Olivia Nelson‑Ododa scored 17 points on 7‑of‑12 shooting, Bria Hartley added 16 points, and Leïla Lacan dished out six assists with three steals. But despite flashes of competence, Connecticut never sustained momentum.

Connecticut held a brief lead in the first quarter before the Sparks took control. Plum hit a mid-range jumper with 2:43 to go in the opening period to give Los Angeles a 20‑14 lead. Hamby had already scored 12 points by the end of the first frame, helping the Sparks to lead 26‑20. In the second quarter the Sun made it close: Nelson‑Ododa scored in transition at 3:37, trimming the margin to 44‑41. But Plum pushed it back out to nine with a pull‑up jumper, and Julie Allemand buried a corner three in the final minute to send her team into the locker room with a 55‑45 edge.

The third quarter became the turning point with the Sparks outscoring the Sun, 32-24. Although the Sun trailed the Sparks by nine points going into the final frame, Los Angeles imposed their will against Connecticut with their success beyond the arc.

As for foul disparity, Los Angeles went 23‑for‑36 from the line while Connecticut made 20 of 23. The Sun committed 13 turnovers while allowing L.A. to control pace and flow after halftime.

In the fourth quarter the Sparks put the game out of reach. A 5-2 run early on extended the lead to 82‑70 despite the Sun bench outscored Los Angeles’ reserves 22-18 while the starters set the tone earlier. Los Angeles closed strong, finishing with 39 rebounds and 21 assists, asserting control through depth and movement.

Marina Mabrey (No. 3) made her long awaited return to the Connecticut Sun roster and did so with her usual tenacity. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)

Marina Mabrey returned after missing nine games with a knee injury, seeing 26 minutes and scoring seven points on 2‑of‑12 shooting with three turnovers. While her impact was limited tonight, her presence adds depth to an injury‑ridden roster.

Sun coach Rachid Meziane spoke afterward in terms of his takeaway from his team’s efforts against the Sparks.

“Having Marina back is a boost for us so it makes our team more complete and so we can rely on more players. You can rely on more substitutions and more substitutions means for me, like you said, to keep the intensity of the tempo and keep playing with a good pace,” Meziane said. “But I don’t think that we kept this pace on the second half because we didn’t… it’s not about respecting our schemes or not, but we didn’t defend with determination and conviction.

“So, we respect the game plan, but without doing the stuff 100%. But we have to, I think, keep working and I think that defensively today, we weren’t disciplined enough because we gave them free 36 free throws. So yeah, just playing hard without giving an easy basket.”

Meziane acknowledged that despite schematically sticking to the plan, the Sun executed at only seventy‑five percent effort. The second half collapse highlighted those gaps: Washington’s bracket defense wavered, rotations lagged, help defense arrived too late. Connecticut allowed the Sparks too many easy baskets at the hoop, then fouled trying to recover — leading to a 36‑free throw night for the visitors.

After halftime, Connecticut failed to contain fast‑break opportunities. Plum scored on a layup at 8:05 in the third, Hamby hit a bucket off an offensive glass at 7:01, and Cannon capped an inside feed with 39.1 seconds left in the third quarter. Meanwhile the Sun couldn’t convert on their few second‑chance looks.

Hartley was ejected early in the second half after two technical fouls. She fouled out with 6:45 left in the third quarter, forcing the Sun to lean more heavily on Leïla Lacan and Jacy Sheldon to keep the Sun in contention.

Although Lacan recorded six assists and three steals, she also missed open jumpers and struggled to finish inside, scoring just two points on 1‑of‑4 shooting. Marina Mabrey looked rusty in her return—3 turnovers and poor shot selection marred what could’ve been a morale boost.

Free throws again told the story: each time Connecticut attempted to pressure inside, they were flagged. L.A. got to the line early and often, converting key sequences in the third and fourth while drawing multiple fouls on the Sun starters. Connecticut, known for a physical frontcourt under Charles and Nelson‑Ododa, ended up being dominated in the foul department.

Despite Charles’s double‑double, it was not enough. She scored 24 on 10‑of‑18 shooting, but missed two late free throws in the third that could have trimmed the Spark lead to single digits. The Sun never got closer than 13 in the final period.

Aneesah Morrow (No. 24) of the Connecticut Sun provided some spark against the Los Angeles Sparks. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)

Aneesah Morrow provided a spark off the bench with five points and eight rebounds in 13 minutes, and Sheldon added five points in 22 minutes. But the reserves combined for just 15 points, compared to 18 by Los Angeles’s bench — including Vanloo’s timely triple and Burrell’s mid‑range jumper.

The loss hindered the Sun’s hopes to climb up the WNBA standings, and the home crowd saw too much inconsistency and too little commitment over the final three quarters. Los Angeles, meanwhile, improved to .417 and sit sixth in the West, riding momentum into their next road game.

For Connecticut, it’s a harsh reminder of the gap between execution and effort at this level. Meziane’s message was clear: possessions matter, and discipline matters more. They will look to regroup quickly, hosting Golden State’s new Valkyries roster Sunday. The Sparks head to New York, seeking to extend their streak against the Liberty, the defending champions.

At the season’s midpoint, Los Angeles is showing glimpses of what they might be with Plum and Stevens in sync and a healthier rotation. Meanwhile, the Sun remain a work in progress. Coach Meziane said it best: they must keep playing with pace and discipline, and never give away easy baskets. Only then might results begin to follow.

Next Sunrise

Connecticut will attempt to the occasion for a Sunday matinee matchup against the Golden State Valkyries (11-12) at 1 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Boston in the New England area.

Los Angeles Sparks: By the Numbers

Connecticut Sun: By the Numbers

Jacy Sheldon (No. 4) of the Connecticut Sun guards Julie Vanloo (No. 35) of the Los Angeles Sparks. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)