Connecticut

Sun

Morrow led the Sun’s rebounding effort in their final game of the 2025 season. She’s done this in 19 other games out of the total 44 games each team played this season. The rookie also notched her eighth double-double of the season. While Morrow wasn’t most efficient scoring the basketball, she got to the line four separate times and often did so as a result of an offensive rebound. She had four of those on Wednesday night. Morrow scored the basketball on a couple of drives, which spotlights her face-up game rather than just her ability to score on the block or right in the paint on a post up.

Rivers capped off her rookie season scoring at all three levels. She began the evening with a three-pointer in the second quarter and then scored most of her points in the third quarter. She got to the rim on drives while blowing past Dream defenders Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard. She came off screens and hit a couple of mid-range jumpers. Rivers led the Sun in assists alongside teammate Marina Mabrey as the pair each had five a piece. Rivers found Mabrey cutting off the ball in addition to Tina Charles for a couple of jump shots. Also, Rivers set up Aneesah Morrow for a wide open drive right to the basket. Rivers finished her rookie campaign with 100 total stocks, a statistic which combines steals and blocks. She’s the only rookie to reach that number this season and the only other players who have done so in 2025 are WNBA all-defensive caliber players in A’ja Wilson, Gabby Williams, Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith and Ezi Magbegor.

Mabrey finished her 2025 season with her second most efficient shooting performance of the year. She shot 53.3 percent from the field, her highest percentage since May 30 when she shot 58.8 percent from the field against the Fever. Mabrey scored 20 points in the Sun’s season finale, and it was the ninth time of the season Mabrey scored at least 20 points during a game. She struck a balance between scoring the basketball off the ball and then creating offense on the ball. Half of her made shots came on assists and the other four did not. Mabrey facilitated the basketball well also, tying Saniya Rivers for the most assists by a Sun player on Wednesday. She passed the ball to four different teammates including Rivers, Tina Charles, Aaliyah Edwards and Aneesah Morrow.

Nelson-Ododa will miss her sixth straight game and the final game of the season for her team while dealing with a back injury. In her place the Sun have turned to more minutes from second year forward Aaliyah Edwards and 6'0 French wing Mamignan Touré. In the Sun’s previous game also against the Dream, stretch four Haley Peters also played in extended minutes.

Mabrey finished with fewer than 10 points for just the 12th time this season, as low shooting volume and efficiency likely contributed to the decreased scoring production. All of the veteran guard’s points and assists came in the first half of Monday’s loss, leaving Mabrey with a somewhat unspectacular final line. However, she’ll have a chance to end the season on a high note in Wednesday’s regular-season finale and rematch against the Dream.

Morrow took the floor on Monday and delivered a massive performance on the glass. She tallied at least 13 boards for the second time in as many games, while securing her fifth double-digit rebound game in the past seven outings. The rookie used strong first and fourth quarters as a scorer to finish in double figures, leading to her seventh double-double of the season. Morrow has been productive down the stretch of her rookie campaign, which should leave fantasy managers optimistic about what her production could look like in Year 2.

With Leila Lacan out (personal reasons), Rivers earned her 24th start of the season and finished as the Sun’s scoring leader on Monday. The rookie guard produced a pair of three-pointers to break Connecticut’s single-season record for threes made by a rookie. She also offered her usual defensive versatility and contributed a couple of assists along the way, ending with a solid performance. Rivers and the Sun will face the Dream again on Wednesday in Connecticut’s season finale.

Lacan has been added to Connecticut’s injury list and did not make the trip for the team’s final road game of the season. With Bria Hartley (knee) done for the season, this may be an opportunity for the Sun to give rookie Saniya Rivers a start after playing 30 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s win over the Mercury.

Lacan had some drive and scores in the second quarter that prove what the WNBA has learned about the rookie: that she is as talented as was advertised going into the 2024 draft. Her quickness going downhill coupled with her decision making on pick-and-roll as a ball handler makes for a really appealing combination. But on Saturday afternoon, the league learned that Lacan has some clutch in her. She scored the Sun’s final 6 points with around 30 seconds left in regulation which included two pairs of free throws and a drive where she scored right through an open lane via some space from a Tina Charles screen. She gave the Sun a 83-81 lead before Lacan made four more free throws to walk away with the win.

Mabrey and Tina Charles carried the scoring load like usual for the Sun, but when Charles had trouble scoring the basketball in the third quarter, Mabrey stepped up notching 8 points, an assist and two steals in the third that helped the Sun get back into the game when they were down, including a steal that resulted in a score on the other end. Points were hard to come by in that third quarter for both teams and Mabrey pushed the ball in transition and exploited the Mercury’s weaker defenders in the process. Mabrey also distributed the basketball well for the Sun. She found Charles once in the first half and then made some pivotal passes to Aaliyah Edwards, Saniya Rivers and Charles for scores in the final two quarters while the Sun were down by as many as 7 points.