Sun Fall to Lynx, 86-80
Published on July 8, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Connecticut Sun News Release
Uncasville, CT - The Connecticut Sun (5-17) fell to the Minnesota Lynx (16-6), 86-80, Wednesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Leila Lacan led the Sun with 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 14 points, five rebounds and a block, while Diamond Miller finished with 13 points and a block. Nell Angloma provided a spark off the bench with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Charlisse Leger-Walker tipped off scoring for the Sun with a contested pull-up from mid-range. Natasha Howard and Maya Caldwell combined to give the Lynx five points to start off the quarter. Nelson-Ododa rushed to the rim to add two points. Leila Lacan followed that with a shot from deep to retake the lead. Saniya Rivers and Kayla McBride traded baskets before Courtney Williams scored two back-to-back buckets to put Minnesota ahead. Miller responded for the Sun with a shot in the paint to bring Connecticut within three. Raegan Beers started her scoring at the free throw line, grabbing a quick two points. Kennedy Burke made a shot from beyond the arc to tie the score at 17. Antonia Delaere tossed in one at the rim to put Minnesota back on top by two, but Rivers grabbed a steal and blocked a shot from Nia Coffey. Eliska Hamzova rolled one in at the rim but Lacan shot a three at the buzzer to pull Connecticut within one at the end of the first quarter.
Connecticut started the second frame off with a defensive stop. Angloma grabbed two at the charity stripe before Lacan rushed to the rim with a bucket. Nelson-Ododa fed Rivers to grab another basket, and Angloma swooped in with a second chance point to give the Sun a seven-point advantage. After a three from Dorka Juhasz and two at the foul line from McBride, Minnesota closed down the lead to four points. Miller's contributions at the free throw line and Leger-Walker's mid-range shot put the Sun ahead by eight points halfway through the second. Howard and Williams spurred a 10-0 run, with shots from McBride and Williams. Gianna Kneepkens snapped it with a 23' three and Lacan added two with a contested basket. Lacan grabbed two more at the free throw line, followed by another point from Beers to put the Sun ahead four points before the half.
Williams and Lacan traded shots to start the half. McBride, Howard and Williams combined to score six straight points before Beers added two at the rim. Nelson-Ododa muscled to the iron and grabbed an and-1. Leger-Walker forced a turnover, but Caldwell put up a shot from downtown to tie the game. Miller made it at the basket and Angloma followed that with a second chance point and then another basket. Nelson-Ododa added another contested basket and grabbed the and-1 to give the Sun an eight-point advantage late in the third frame. The quarter was ended at the free throw line, with two makes apiece from McBride, Edwards and Hamzova.
Delaere found a three to open the final quarter. Angloma grabbed two more and Anatasiia Olairi Kosu responded with two at the line. McBridge scored two more to tie the game at 67 with 7:38 remaining. Leger-Walker shot a dagger from deep to regain the lead, but Delaere made one from mid-range to re-tie. Delaere added another make from downtown to give the Lynx a lead heading into the back half of the fourth. Juhasz followed that with another three-point basket to elevate Minnesota to a six-point advantage. Kneepkens and Juhasz traded threes before Nelson-Ododa made a layup and got the and-1. McBride and Kosu scored consecutive buckets to take an 83-76 lead with just over two minutes remaining. Burke blocked a shot and Miller drew a foul to add two at the line, bringing Connecticut within five points with 1:19 left. Leger-Walker blocked a shot from McBride, turning up the defensive pressure, and Nelson-Ododa poked a steal free. Miller made it to the line with 12.1 seconds in the quarter to add two points and close the deficit down to three points. Juhasz made a three with 7.1 on the clock to elevate Minnesota back to six points ahead.
Minnesota outscored Connecticut off the bench, 32-29, and in points off turnovers, forcing 18 turnovers and grabbing 16 points while the Sun forced 14 and grabbed 13 points. Connecticut outpaced Minnesota in second chance points, 15-12.
Game Notes:
Diamond Miller reached 200 career defensive rebounds.
The Sun and the Lynx were very closely matched in most categories, including FT/FTA (22-27; 20-27), rebounds (36-33), assists (20-21), steals (8-9) and blocks (7-7), respectively.
Team Score Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 PTS REB AST
CON 80 20 25 20 15 Lacan - 15 Angloma - 7 Lacan - 6
MIN 86 21 20 19 26 McBride - 23 Howard - 10 Williams - 7
NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun host the Golden State Valkyries on Friday, 7/10 at 7:30 PM EST at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from July 8, 2026
- Sun Fall to Lynx, 86-80 - Connecticut Sun
- Golden State Postgame Notes: Valkyries 83, Tempo 75 - Golden State Valkyries
- Las Vegas Aces Sign Ta'Niya Latson to Development Player Contract - Las Vegas Aces
- Janelle Salaün Scores Career-High 26 Points Leading Valkyries to Franchise-Record Sixth Straight Win - Golden State Valkyries
- Atlanta Dream Sign Indya Nivar to Player Development Contract - Atlanta Dream
- WNBA to Become First Professional Sports League to Host Events at the New Obama Presidential Center - WNBA
- Sky Secure Road Win over Mercury, 77-66 - Chicago Sky
- Shepard Leads Wings to Big Win in New York Liberty 7 - Dallas Wings
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
