One might have thought the Connecticut Sun won more than their first game of the season on Wednesday.
The Sun (1-5) doused coach Rachid Meziane with water in the locker room following an 80-78 victory in Seattle that snapped a five-game losing streak.
The teams are scheduled to meet again Friday night in Seattle.
Kennedy Burke converted a three-point play with 2.8 seconds remaining as the Sun won without 10-time All-Star center Brittney Griner, who was sidelined with a right rib injury.
“We won this game because we played with a lot of pride,” Meziane said. “… We didn’t panic, even when Seattle came back in the game, and when they were up. We stayed locked in and very focused on the moment.”
The Storm (1-4) trailed for a vast majority of the night before taking the lead with 59 seconds remaining on Jade Melbourne’s driving layup. Mackenzie Holmes added two free throws with 40.8 seconds to go to extend the lead to three.
Aaliyah Edwards made a driving layup with 32 seconds left to pull the Sun within 78-77 before Burke’s winning play.
“We just had to transition back better,” Storm coach Sonia Raman said. “We will be better on that one next time, but they got us on that one.”
Rookie Charlisse Leger-Walker, who started her collegiate career at Washington State before capping it with an NCAA championship at UCLA, had 16 points and three assists to lead the Sun.
Natisha Hiedeman led Seattle with 20 points and five assists, but her 3-point attempt at the final buzzer misfired.
“It happens. I really wanted that win,” Hiedeman said. “There was a lot of other areas we just need to clean up, though. I’m ready to play again on Friday already.”
Seattle won 89-82 on Mother’s Day at Connecticut, so Friday will be the rubber game of the season series.
Griner (15.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is listed as questionable for Friday, but starting Storm center Dominique Malonga (16.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg) will miss her third straight game as she continues to be in concussion protocol.
–Field Level Media
