Connecticut Sun Shine Over Seattle Storm on Camp Day, 93-83

Jacy Sheldon (No. 4) and Saniya Rivers (No. 22) of the Connecticut Sun were a formidable tandem against the Seattle Storm at Mohegan Sun Arena. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — A team in desperate need of a spark finally got one.

Fueled by aggressive offense, inspired defense and a raucous sellout crowd of day camp fans, the Connecticut Sun (3–16) earned a cathartic 93–83 win over the Seattle Storm (12–8) on Wednesday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena. The victory snapped Connecticut’s 10-game losing streak and marked their first win at home this season.

Bria Hartley set the tone early with 15 first-half points on 4-of-8 shooting. Her veteran leadership and energy from the jump helped the Sun seize control and never trail after the first quarter. Tina Charles added a game-high 29 points and 11 rebounds in her return to the starting five while Jacy Sheldon chipped in 16 points, four assists and two rebounds in a breakout performance.

“I think we’ve been able to put together some great days of practice,” said Charles. “We’ve been able to turn it over. I want to say Bria’s energy in all the practices has been amazing.

“She’s been a great leader vocally and just setting the tone for us in practice. The way she came out of the game definitely gave us confidence, no matter what the score was, that we have someone to rely on, someone to look to.”

Seattle opened with poise, leading the Sun by as many as 13 points in the opening quarter. However, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Charles and Hartley brought Connecticut within nine after the first frame.

The second quarter remained tight with Aneesah Morrow, Nelson-Ododa, Hartley, Sheldon and Charles closing Connecticut’s gap to Seattle, 49-41.

Once the third quarter was underway, the Sun was shining against the Storm. Sheldon nailed her first triple of the afternoon before it became the Saniya Rivers highlight reel with 11 points and incredible court vision with assists and steals to change the game’s complexity.

Sheldon found her groove outside the perimeter while Charles continued to dominate inside the paint, bringing the Sun within two possession of the Storm going into the final quarter. A terrific performance by Sheldon has her now in the elite 50/40/90 club in terms of her field goal percentage, three point shooting percentage, and free throw percentage (50.4%/43.2%/92.2%), per Conrado Pascual of the center hub.

Leïla Lacan started Connecticut’s torrid scoring in the fourth frame, making her jumper just 33 seconds into the period. Charles produced with points in the paint as Sheldon buried a critical trey with 6:41 left to make it a two-point difference.

Rivers’ second steal of the afternoon led to another Sheldon bucket just 20 seconds later, tying the score and bringing the passionate Mohegan Sun Arena fans, including day campers, to their feet.

The duo of Charles and Sheldon came through in the clutch with the UConn icon ever reliable with inside shots and Sheldon banking from downtown with 2:40 left, ultimately proving to be the game deciding bucket.

When all was said and done, the Sun broke through stormy times and earned a much needed victory at home. Hartley attributed the win to the team finding its way and playing with gusto.

Bria Hartley (No. 14) of the Connecticut Sun had another stellar performance against the Seattle Storm. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)

“Our identity is that we need to come out with energy,” Hartley said. “I think throughout most of the season we haven’t started the games with a lot of energy, and I put that on myself… I thought today on the offensive end we were a lot more aggressive. We got to the free throw line a little bit more. Where we’re able to do that, it puts more pressure on their defense and then it’s a better momentum for us.”

Hartley also highlighted Connecticut’s disruptive defense.

“Saniya [Rivers] did a really good job,” she said. “She had four steals. Leïla’s a bigger guard on the ball — that just was very disruptive. So I think especially in that second half, we did a better job defensively and put pressure on them.”

Lacan earned the praises of Sheldon as she noted her teammates’ selflessness to play as a cohesive unit.

“She’s a really good player, really good at finding people and making plays,” Sheldon said of Lacan. “I think for us today it was playing together. We played together on the offensive end and really complemented each other’s game. And I think, like Tina said, moving forward, we build off that. And like Bria said, that’s our identity now.”

Sheldon, who scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half, also reflected on the atmosphere.

“Yeah, this is a huge one like I mentioned,” Sheldon said. “And I think having the kids here is always fun. They were loud like they mentioned. They might not know the score all the time what’s going on, but they definitely helped us get this win… they’ve been our sixth man, so getting this win for them too was pretty special.”

Charles echoed the sentiment.

Tina Charles (No. 31) of the Connecticut Sun played with the kind of poise inherent from a UConn Huskies great. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)

“I’d like to think that our fans are just our sixth man… it’s just really great for them just to see a woman that looked like them, and for them to aspire to be where we are and to just dream big,” she said.

The Sun shot 49% from the field and held the Storm to just 6-of-25 from three-point range. They outscored Seattle in points off turnover, 15–13. Connecticut also assisted on 21 of their 32 made field goals.

Skylar Diggins led the Storm with 23 points, three rebounds and seven assists while Nneka Ogwumike added 21 points, five rebounds, an assist and steal.

Meanwhile, Connecticut head coach Rachid Meziane expressed pride in his team’s effort and the impact of the win beyond the box score.

“Yeah, we have to be proud to give this victory to all these young players or young kids because it’s also part of our job to show them,” said Meziane. “Athletes are giving everything, trying to give them their best and never give up. So I think that it’s a good message for the young kids in the stands.”

On the team’s progression, Meziane added, “We have to now play the next game with standards… keep working hard to elevate our level. Just like I said, build some self-confidence in ourselves and in what we are capable of.”

Next Sunrise

Connecticut and Seattle meet up again this Friday evening at 10 p.m. ET at Climate Pledge Arena for the third of four season, head-to-head matchups. ION will carry the telecast and the game will be streamed on WNBA League Pass.

Seattle Storm: By the Numbers

Connecticut Sun: By the Numbers

Jacy Sheldon of the Connecticut Sun tallied 14 of her 16 points in the second half against the Seattle Storm. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)