Paige Bueckers scored a game-high 25 points and Jessica Shepard made two key free throws in the final seconds as the Dallas Wings came back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Connecticut Sun 86-83 on Thursday in Hartford, Conn.
The Sun led by 13 points in the second quarter, by eight at halftime but by just seven after an uneven third period. Dallas closed to within 72-68 on Azzi Fudd’s jumper with 5:05 to play and to 74-72 on a layup by Bueckers with 3:08 left.
Dallas (12-8) tied the game at 78 on Li Yueru’s 3-pointer with 1:51 remaining and then took the lead on a three-point play by Bueckers with 1:17 to play. The Sun responded with a basket and free throw by Aaliyah Edwards on the ensuing possession that tied the game again. Fudd and Edwards traded buckets before Bueckers converted one of two free throw chances with 25.9 seconds left to put the Wings up by a point.
The Sun’s Leila Lacan missed a contested jumper in the lane with 5 seconds left, and the rebound was taken by Shepard, who was fouled and made both free throws with 3 seconds to play. Connecticut’s final 3-point attempt from Edwards from the corner bounced off the rim and away, allowing the Wings to escape with the victory.
Shepard finished with 14 points while Alanna Smith added 11 for Dallas, which snapped a two-game losing streak.
Lacan led the Sun (4-16) with 18 points. Charlisse Leger-Walker had 14, Brittney Griner amassed 13 points and 11 rebounds and Edwards and Olivia Nelson-Ododa scored 11 points apiece as Connecticut had a two-game winning streak snapped.
The Sun racked up the final seven points in the first period to take a 22-16 lead after 10 minutes of play. Connecticut expanded its advantage to 32-20 after a three-point play from Kennedy Burke with 5:23 left in the second quarter but Bueckers’ floater with 42 seconds remaining in the first half allowed the Wings to pull to within 43-35 at the break.
Bueckers and Lacan scored 12 points each to lead their respective teams before halftime.
Griner’s turnaround jumper four minutes into the third quarter rebuilt the Sun’s lead to a baker’s dozen.
–Field Level Media
