In Uncasville, Connecticut, Marina Mabry delivered a season-high 34 points, and Tina Charles contributed seven of her 19 points in the final six minutes, securing an 84-76 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night, marking her first home win of the season. Mabry made 13 out of 22 field goal attempts, including eight 3-pointers and six free throws, achieving her fourth career 30-point game, just shy of tying her career-high of 36 points set on June 15, 2023, against Indiana.
Mabry scored six points during Connecticut’s 12-2 run, pushing the team to a 48-37 lead by the end of the third quarter. Connecticut was ahead 58-45 with 2:40 remaining in the third quarter before Atlanta responded with a 16-4 run, narrowing the gap to 62-61 on Rhyne Howard’s three-pointer just before the quarter ended. Despite this, Atlanta managed only one field goal in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, allowing Connecticut to pull away with a 71-64 lead.
The Sun starters finished with 75 points in total. Bria Hartley added 11 points, and rookie Sanya Rivers contributed three steals and two blocks for Connecticut, which now stands at 2-6. Olivia Nelson-Doda sat out the second half with an ankle injury. For Atlanta (5-3), Howard and Brittney Griner scored 18 points each, with Nazhirmon adding 14 and A’ja Wilson 11. Bryona Jones, playing her first game at Mohegan Sun Arena since her early career with the Sun, scored seven points and grabbed six rebounds.
Mabry hit a floater with just 0.5 seconds left in the first half to put Connecticut ahead 36-35. She scored 15 points in the first half, with Charles contributing 10. Atlanta’s four-game winning streak came to an end.
Fan Take: This win is a significant morale boost for Connecticut and highlights Marina Mabry’s rising star potential. For WNBA fans, it’s exciting to see fresh performances like Mabry’s energizing the league and keeping the competition fierce as the season progresses.
