Connecticut Sun Falls Short Against Phoenix Mercury, 83-75

Jacy Sheldon (No. 4) of the Connecticut Sun chipped in with 13 pivotal points that galvanized her team against the Phoenix Mercury at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Photo: Chris Marion | NBAE via Getty Images)

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Connecticut Sun gave a valiant effort in the second half but ultimately fell short against the Phoenix Mercury, dropping a hard-fought contest 83-75 at home on Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena. With both teams facing the challenge of a quick turnaround, the Sun’s youth and resilience were on display, but Phoenix’s balance and execution secured the win.

Phoenix established control early, fueled by strong performances from their starters. Kahleah Copper was particularly effective, pouring in 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. Copper’s aggressiveness in transition set the tone as Phoenix built a lead that reached double digits by halftime.

Alyssa Thomas, traded from the Sun to the Mercury during the offseason, orchestrated the offense beautifully, finishing with a near triple-double: 14 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds. Her playmaking continually found teammates in rhythm, notably setting up Lexi Held and Satou Sabally for key perimeter shots that kept Connecticut’s defense scrambling.

Sabally was a force on the boards, grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds to go with 12 points. Her presence in the paint helped Phoenix dominate the glass 41-37, critical in limiting second-chance opportunities for the Sun.

The Mercury’s team-oriented play was on full display, as they registered 24 assists on 32 made field goals. Their ball movement and spacing helped create high-percentage looks and kept Connecticut’s defense on its heels.

Trailing at the half, the Sun regrouped and came out with renewed energy. Sophomore Jacy Sheldon sparked Connecticut with timely shooting, scoring 13 points on 5-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-6 from deep. Her perimeter shooting helped close the gap as Connecticut clawed back into contention.

Aneesah Morrow (No. 24) of the Connecticut Sun had a standout performance with 16 points against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night. (Photo: Chris Marion | NBAE via Getty Images)

Aneesah Morrow was another bright spot, providing interior toughness and scoring. Morrow notched 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, asserting herself against Phoenix’s front line. Her ability to get to the free-throw line (6-for-8) was key in keeping the Sun within striking distance.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa added a double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds, battling on the interior to keep Connecticut in the game. Saniya Rivers and Bria Hartley chipped in key buckets as the Sun tried to mount a comeback.

Phoenix’s largest lead came midway through the third quarter, when a quick flurry—highlighted by a Copper fast-break layup and a Held corner triple—pushed the advantage to 15. The Sun, however, refused to go away. Sheldon drilled back-to-back threes late in the third, part of a 10-2 run that breathed life into the Mohegan Sun Arena crowd.

In the fourth quarter, Morrow and Sheldon kept applying pressure, cutting the lead to 5 with just over two minutes remaining after Morrow muscled in a putback. But Phoenix responded decisively: Thomas found Sabally inside for a key bucket, and after a defensive stop, Held sank two clutch free throws to ice the game.

After the game, Sheldon reflected on the team’s grit during the back-to-back stretch.

Jacy Sheldon praised her Connecticut Sun teammates’ tenacity and ability to play determined basketball in recent games. (Photo: Chris Marion | NBAE via Getty Images)

“I think last night’s game and this game, I think our energy was pretty good, pretty good,” Sheldon said. “And I think our effort was at a high. And I think you guys saw it today too. And yesterday I’m sure. But when our energy is good, I think we make each other better. And I think that’s when we like to play. We like to play with pace and transition. We like getting stops.

“So I think just moving forward, I think that will be our, our focus. And now we have some time, we have a day to prepare for Dallas. And that’ll be our focus moving forward.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Sun head coach Rachid Meziane.

“It’s easier for Jacy and Aneesah because they are young players,” Meziane said with a grin. “So to play two days in a row like that, it’s easy for them. For sure, it’s something I can appreciate—you know how they fight this evening, how they impact the game. They still make some mistakes. I have in my mind a couple of actions—when Jacy stole the ball and didn’t finish her layup, or when she made a bad choice trying to pass to Marina [Mabrey] instead of playing to the opposite side.

“We need to play with more focus and read the game better. They sometimes play like robots. We have to read the defense, do something different, create an advantage. The next step to winning these games is to rely on more players. We saw Marina wasn’t having a good day tonight. We need more from other players. Jacy can be one of those players. Liv was good today. Saniya, nice. We need that to complement our scoring. But I am optimistic—we’re starting to understand how to play together, how to defend together, how to succeed with our team-first mentality.”

Next Sunrise

The Sun will look to regroup with an extra day of preparation before facing Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. The growing chemistry among Connecticut’s younger core offers promise, but translating strong efforts into victories will require sharper execution in key moments.

For Phoenix, the win marked a continuation of their steady play, with Thomas anchoring both ends of the floor and Copper providing consistent scoring. As they continue their road trip, the Mercury will look to build on the teamwork and balance that carried them to victory in this contest.

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