Sports: Los Angeles rallies from 16 back to beat Sun, 98-92, in overtime
League-leading Sparks rally from 16 back and pull out an overtime win
Mohegan — The Connecticut Sun did nearly everything better than the Los Angeles Sparks' juggernaut for over 39 minutes in regulation on Friday night.
The Sun gave it all away in over- time.
Connecticut couldn't finish while the league-leading Sparks did. They won, 98-92, to tie the 1998 Houston Comets for the best start in WNBA history (20-1).
“Well, that was gut-wrenching," Sun coach Curt Miller said.
Connecticut (6-15) shot an absurd 56.4 percent in the first half. It led by as much as 62-46 with seven minutes, 53 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Sun turned it over just nine times in regulation, but turned it over four times in overtime and missed six of nine shots, including some very makeable ones.
"We continue to play really well in a lot of areas and really executed some of the game plan that we wanted," Miller said. "But the margin of error is small in this league and playing against that team, the margin of error is even smaller.
"A few missed foul shots here or there, an untimely turnover, a missed defensive assignment is all it takes for (Los Angeles) to get that crack, that little sliver of hope, and they took advantage of it.”
It was the ninth win in a row for Los Angeles.
“Honestly if our players are happy about that, then I am happy for them," Sparks coach Brian Agler said. "I have not spent one second talking with them about it. Our focus is just trying to get ready for each day and the next opponent."
Los Angeles Nneka Ogwumike said, "It's very special."
Two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker had one of her worst shooting nights of the season for the Sparks. She was scoreless at halftime and finished missing seven of 10 shots for six points.
All the extra defensive attention
being paid to Parker and Ogwumike gave teammate Jantel Lavender countless open looks. Lavender made them count as she scored 25 with 10 rebounds.
Ogwumike had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles and Kristi Toliver scored 24.
Alyssa Thomas (17 points, 12 rebounds) was one of five Sun players to score in double figures.
Connecticut trailed 93-92 and had the ball with 22.6 seconds remaining in overtime.
The Sun called a play for Thomas coming out of a timeout. Jasmine Thomas' pass to Alyssa Thomas sailed wide and went out-ofbounds with 15 seconds left.
"We popped out Alyssa Thomas," Miller said. "We got the switch that we wanted. We were going to have an isolation (play) with Kristi Toliver guarding Alyssa Thomas off the dribble.
"The pass didn't get connected. We got the matchup we were hoping for and desired in that play call, and we just didn't execute it."
Alyssa Thomas had a chance to give Connecticut the lead when she was fouled with 10.7 seconds left in regulation. Thomas made her first free throw to tie the game at 85. She missed the second.
Connecticut shot 9-of-15 from the line. Los Angeles was almost perfect (18-19).
Chiney Ogwumike had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Sun before fouling out on a charge with 1:13 left in overtime.
Alex Bentley had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists for Connecticut and Jasmine Thomas had 12 points and five assists. Little also scored 10.
Jasmine Thomas made a 3-pointer with 12.1 seconds left in the first half to give the Sun a 55-44 halftime lead.
Connecticut's offensive efficiency dropped considerably in the second half. They shot 37.1-percent and scored just 30.
"I think we got out in transition a lot more in the first half," Bentley said. "They started shooting the ball better in the second half, and we weren't able to get out in transition as much. We got good looks. We got great looks down the stretch."