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Recap: Sun hold off Dream comeback to win, stay in first place

Thanks to some fourth-quarter defense, Connecticut overcame a woeful shooting performance to grab the 65-59 victory on the road.

By Christine M. Hopkins
Alyssa Thomas’ second straight 12-rebound game helped power the Connecticut Sun’s defensive effort in Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Dream.
NBAE/Getty Images

The Connecticut Sun battled through a tough shooting day to win Sunday’s game 65-59 and hand the Atlanta Dream their fourth straight loss. With the win, the Sun extended their league-best record to 5-1.

After an active first quarter that saw the Sun jump out to a 26-13 lead, the offense drastically tapered off for the rest of the game. While the Dream also struggled to shoot the ball well, they used timely offense late in the game to come back from a deficit of as many as 16 points. With six minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the game was knotted at 57.

But Connecticut picked up its offense and defense just enough to seal the win, finishing the game with an 8-2 run.

Jonquel Jones led the Sun with a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double, while Alyssa Thomas added a double-double of her own with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Thomas tied a season-high in rebounds that she first achieved in Connecticut’s last game against Los Angeles. Courtney Williams’ 13 points rounded out the Sun’s high scorers.

Sun rookie Bridget Carleton made her WNBA debut, grabbing two rebounds.

For the Dream, who outshot the Sun 32.4 percent to 28.4 percent, Tiffany Hayes and Brittney Sykes led the way with 14 points apiece. Monique Billings’ 10 rebounds off the bench was a team-high.

Atlanta’s four-game losing streak is its worst since 2017, when it lost nine games in a row.

Up next: The Sun host the Mystics on Tuesday, June 11 (7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network). The Dream travel to face the Wings on Saturday, June 15 (8 p.m. ET, NBA TV).

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