Sun overcome Bria Hartley ejection to beat Sky, 71-62

Emily Adams, Hartford Courant on Aug 13, 2025

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UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The last time Connecticut Sun guard Bria Hartley was ejected from a game against the Los Angeles Sparks in late July, the rest of the team immediately collapsed and lost by 15 in a matchup that looked winnable most of the way.

On Wednesday the Sun proved how far they’ve come in just a few weeks with a 71-62 win over the Chicago Sky at Mohegan Sun Arena after Hartley was tossed three minutes into the second quarter for an altercation with Chicago forward Rebecca Allen. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for Connecticut and prevented them from being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

The Sun got out to a strong start before the ejection, leading Chicago 21-18 at the end of the first quarter after rookie Leila Lacan sank her first 3-point attempt of the game at the buzzer. Lacan dominated the opening quarter offensively, leading the team with seven points on a 3-for-3 shooting start, but fellow rookie Aneesah Morrow was close behind with six points and a game-high five rebounds, playing all 10 minutes of the first.

Hartley, who started 0 for 3 from the field, collided with Allen as both went up for a rebound, and Hartley shoved the Chicago veteran to the ground. Allen then grabbed Hartley by the jersey to earn her own ejection, and Sky star Ariel Atkins was also ejected for jumping into the altercation after Hartley and Allen had already been separated by teammates and officials.

But the Sun didn’t lose any momentum after officials spent more than 10 minutes reviewing the play, coming out of the long break with a 13-5 run and entering halftime with a 12-point lead. Connecticut had eight scorers in the first half, including 13 points from the bench, and it put on a defensive clinic forcing 13 turnovers that it converted into 10 points. Former UConn center Olivia Nelson-Ododa had eight points without a missed field goal, and she tied her season high in steals with three before halftime on top of two blocks.

The Sun also built up the comfortable lead mostly without star veteran Tina Charles, who played just seven and a half minutes in the first half.

The third quarter was a defensive battle with both teams struggling to make shots from the field, but Connecticut maintained an energy level that the Sky struggled to match with just seven players available. Rookie Saniya Rivers came up with a pair of massive stops headlined by a block on 6-foot-7 Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso in the last two minutes of the quarter that earned a roar of approval from the home crowd.

Star guard Marina Mabrey warmed up offensively with six points in the third, and Charles added six to push the Sun ahead 60-45 entering the fourth.

The final quarter was almost a disaster for Connecticut, which went without a point for more than four and a half minutes, allowing an 11-0 run to the Sky. Chicago cut the Sun’s lead to as few as five points after they led by as many as 21 in the third, but Charles finally ended the brutal drought with five consecutive points to breathe life back into the offense.

The Sky refused to go down quietly, again getting the game within five points in the final two minutes, but Rivers again made a crucial steal and drew a transition take foul against Chicago guard Rachel Banham to put the ball back in the Sun’s possession. Lacan converted a layup off the opportunity, re-opening a three-score lead that allowed Connecticut to hang on down the stretch.

The win was a full-team effort for the Sun led by Lacan, who finished with 17 points plus five assists, four rebounds and two steals. Charles had 11 points after halftime to end with 15 on top of four boards. Rivers tied a season high in assists with six, and Morrow recorded a season-best three blocks on top of her nine points and nine rebounds. Mabrey added 10 points despite going 0 for 4 on 3-pointers, and she also had five rebounds and four assists.