Former UConn star Tina Charles leads Atlanta Dream in 82-70 victory over Connecticut Sun

The Connecticut Sun couldn’t complete a fourth-quarter comeback after trailing for three quarters against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, suffering their first loss since the Olympic break, 82-70, on the road.

Former UConn star Tina Charles anchored Atlanta with a massive double-double, logging 22 points while tying a season-high 15 rebounds shooting 9-for-15 from the field. It was the 100th game of Charles’ WNBA career with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, and she now needs just two points to become the No. 2 scorer in league history behind only fellow Husky Diana Taurasi.

The back-and-forth battle was deja vu for Connecticut, which took its only loss to a team below .500 against the Dream 78-74 at Mohegan Sun Arena on June 28, despite its new-look offense after trading for Marina Mabrey during the break. Point guard Tyasha Harris came off the bench for the first time this season with Mabrey starting in her place alongside DiJonai Carrington in the backcourt.

Even with a fresh lineup, the Sun’s trend of sluggish starts from the first half of the season has not improved since the break: The team opened 0-for-6 from the field while Atlanta went on a 5-0 run, and Connecticut trailed the entire first half without even tying the score. The Sun also couldn’t replicate their red-hot shooting performance from Friday’s win over the Dallas Wings, going 0-for-5 from 3-point range and shooting just 28.6% from the field.

Connecticut was also uncharacteristically sloppy on defense in the first quarter, sending the Dream to the free-throw line 11 times for seven points. DeWanna Bonner picked up two fouls in her first four minutes on the floor, so she spent most of the first on the bench with Harris replacing her off the bench. However, Atlanta also shot poorly in the first quarter with superstar Rhyne Howard going just 1-6 from the field, and the team hit just 27.7%.

Charles took over the game for the Dream soon after top reserve forward Cheyanne Parker-Tyus went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter. She shot 5-for-8 from the field 11 points and six rebounds in the first half, and Connecticut center Brionna Jones struggled to navigate the matchup offensively going 1-for-6 in the first half, though she also recorded two steals to single-handedly force a third of the Dream’s turnovers before halftime.

Connecticut’s offense began to find some rhythm late in the second quarter, going on an 8-2 run powered by long 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. Superstar Alyssa Thomas assisted both, first to Mabrey in transition then to Bonner to get the Sun back within a single possession.

Foul trouble remained a concern for the Sun in the physical matchup as both Bonner and Mabrey entered the second half with three fouls. Thomas picked up a late technical foul in the second quarter after arguing with the officials over a call against Harris, and Dream guard Allisha Gray also received a tech up earlier in the half for complaining about an offensive foul call. Connecticut made the most of its free throw attempts going 9-for-9 in the first half, while Atlanta went just 11-for-16.

Connecticut tied the game for the first time briefly at 38 points early in the third, but Atlanta consistently maintained their narrow lead for the rest of the quarter. Jones became the centerpiece for the Sun after halftime with eight points in the third quarter alone while holding Charles to just two field goals, and she finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals. But the Dream found an answer in Jordin Canada, who scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half and finished with a game-high six steals plus six assists and four boards.

The Sun went on a 10-0 run over the first two minutes of the fourth quarter to take their first lead 61-59, but Atlanta got back in front by two points after a long jump shot from Charles with just under three minutes to play. Gray then added a pair of free throws, and Howard came in clutch with a deep 3-pointer that put the Dream up by six inside of a minute on the clock. Connecticut turned the ball over on an illegal screen during its next offensive possession, and Charles effectively sealed the victory with a tough layup over Jones that gave that gave Atlanta a three-possession lead.