Sun Pick up First Win of 2025 over Fever, 85-83

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WNBA Connecticut Sun

Sun Pick up First Win of 2025 over Fever, 85-83

May 30, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Connecticut Sun News Release


Indianapolis, IN - Tonight, the Connecticut Sun (1-5) defeated the Indiana Fever (2-4), 85-83, on the road for their first victory of the 2025 regular season. The win marks Head Coach Rachid Meziane's first win as the head coach for the Sun and the franchise's 500th regular season win (Connecticut Sun and Orlando Miracle).

Marina Mabrey led the Sun in the win, notching a season-high 26 points, along with five rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. She finished 10/17 from the field, including 4/9 from beyond the arc. Mabrey has finished in double-digits in five of the Sun's six contests this season.

Tina Charles finished with 18 points, two rebounds and three assists, while rookie Saniya Rivers tallied a career-high 12 points, two rebounds and a career-high six assists. Rivers knocked down a career-high three three-pointers and finished a team-best +14 on the night for the Sun.

The Fever jumped out to a 12-4 lead, forcing the Sun into a timeout with 5:42 to play in the first quarter. Connecticut began the game shooting 1/4 (25%) from the field, while Indiana started 6/8 (75%) from the floor. A 17-11 run to end the quarter by the Sun cut the deficit to two, 23-21, after the opening ten minutes of action. Tina Charles led the Sun in the first quarter with seven points, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa added six points and three rebounds.

A 13-8 start to the second quarter gave Connecticut a 34-31 lead with 5:41 to play in the first half. Charles had five of the Sun's 13 points on that run to begin the second. The game was tied, 39-39, with a minute to go in the first half and the Sun closed the quarter scoring four unanswered to take a 43-39 lead into the locker room at halftime. Charles led all scorers with 15 points, along with two rebounds at the break. Marina Mabrey added nine points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals through twenty minutes of action. The Fever's 39 points at the half marked a new low for Sun opponent first-half points this season.

The Sun came out of the locker room outscoring the Fever, 11-7, to take an eight-point lead, 54-46, and force Indiana into a timeout with 5:47 to play in the third. Charles, Mabrey and Saniya Rivers each nailed a three-point field goal on that stretch for Connecticut. The Sun led by as many as 12 in the third, but the Fever were able to close the gap to nine, 68-59, heading into the fourth. Mabrey notched 12 of her 26 points in the third quarter to pace the Sun coming out of the locker room.

Connecticut began the fourth scoring six answered with a three-pointer by Bria Harley and and-one layup from Haley Peters to push their lead up to 15, 74-59, with 8:47 to play in the game. Indiana responded on a 6-0 run of their own to cut the Sun's advantage back to nine, 74-65, with six minutes remaining in the fourth. The Fever continued their run, scoring 10 more unanswered to take a 75-74 lead, with 3:16 to go in the quarter. Connecticut was held scoreless from the 8:47 to the 3:02 mark until Rivers sank two free-throws to regain the lead, 76-75, with three minutes to go.

The two teams then went on to trade baskets with the Sun holding onto a three-point lead, 84-81, with 13.7 seconds remaining in the contest. The Fever's Kelsey Mitchell cut the Sun lead to one with 6.5 second to go, 84-83, on a driving lay-up. Rivers was then fouled and sank one of two free-throw attempts to give the Sun the two-point advantage on the other end with 5.8 seconds left in the ball game. A 19-foot jumper by Mitchell with 2.0 seconds left was no good and the Sun came away with the win.

The Sun shot a season-high 51.7% (31/60) from the floor, while holding the Fever to 49.2% (29/59) from the field in the game. Connecticut forced 15 Indiana turnovers, resulting in 30 Sun points of their mistakes.

Aliyah Boston led the Fever in the game with 17 points, five rebounds, seven assists and one steal in the effort. Former Sun guard-forward DeWanna Bonner added 13 points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench for Indiana.

Notes:

With the win, the Sun avoid starting the season 0-6 for the first time in franchise history.

Tonight's game marked Marina Mabrey's 200th career game in the WNBA.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa added eight points, a team-high nine rebounds, one steal and one block.

Haley Peters added nine points, two rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes off the bench.

Both teams grabbed 25 rebounds and dished out 19 assists.

The Sun join the Los Angeles Sparks (532) as the only two teams in league history to achieve at least 500 wins as a franchise.

Orlando Miracle- 60 wins

Connecticut Sun- 440 wins

Team Score Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 PTS REB AST

CON 85 21 22 25 17 Mabrey- 26 Nelson-Ododa- 9 Rivers- 6

IND 83 23 16 20 24 Boston- 17 Howard- 6 Boston- 7

NEXT GAME: The Connecticut Sun travel to Brooklyn to take on the New York Liberty in their first Commissioner's Cup contest on Sunday, June 1 at 3:00 PM ET at Barclays Center.

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