Fate teased Dallas with a 7-point cushion after the first, only to snatch it away quarter by quarter. By the time Marina Mabrey calmly sank two free throws with 16.6 seconds left in the game, the Sun’s lead was four. Seconds later, Myisha Hines-Allen’s desperate three rimmed out, Tina Charles pulled down the board, drew a foul, and iced the night with two more at the stripe. But anyone watching knew Mabrey’s clutch shots and Charles’ veteran finish weren’t the whole story behind Connecticut’s 101-95 win (its fifth in the last seven games).

The Sun notched their 10th victory of the season, their fourth on the road, not just by execution but because Dallas showed up already gasping for air. Hours before tip, the Wings declared Paige Bueckers out with illness. She slid onto an injury ledger that was already holding hostage: Arike Ogunbowale (right knee), Ty Harris (left knee), JJ Quinerly (ACL), and Li Yueru (left knee). The math here tells you that eight of Dallas’ 12 opening-night players have now missed at least seven games this season.

Now just bump that number up as late in the third vs the Sun, Luisa Geiselsöder crumpled with a right shoulder injury and never returned. Her replacement entering the 4th quarter, Aziaha James, barely made it to the end before exiting with a leg scare of her own. The severity of these injuries is still to be determined. But the hope is that Geiselsöder’s shoulder isn’t serious, that James’ leg won’t add yet another name to the year-long list. Because right now, Dallas can’t seem to catch a break, and they really need that hope to be true.

However, let’s not discount Connecticut’s determination just yet – because their French league champion showed up once again…

Leila Lacan Leads Sun’s Surge vs Dallas Wings

Before tipoff, The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant had written glowingly about the guard: “Leïla Lacan has been a one-woman defensive dynamo, now leading the league in steals after reaching the games-played threshold. She also posted the league’s second-ever 14 assist, zero turnover game (a feat former Sun point guard Veronica Burton repeated later in the week). Her decision-making pops on both ends of the floor,” she had said.

That same composure carried into Wednesday night, as Lacan poured in 22 points and steadied Connecticut when Dallas threatened momentum swings. But Sabreena Merchant’s preview also spotlighted a trio of fellow young pieces: Saniya Rivers, Aaliyah Edwards, and Lacan, as the rookie foundation of this Sun rebuild. Sure, Saniya Rivers had her flashes, scoring 11 points with her activity in the passing lanes, but her box score impact (just one rebound and one assist) understated her defensive disruption.

Aaliyah Edwards, meanwhile, endured a forgettable outing: seven minutes, no points, a lone rebound, never able to find her footing against Dallas’ physical frontcourt. For Connecticut, it was a reminder that even sophomore contributions can swing wildly from night to night. Still, the veterans and Lacan’s poise made sure those inconsistencies didn’t matter. The Sun closed with their highest scoring output of the season (101 points) powered by balanced offense and timely stops.

Tina Charles iced it at the stripe, Marina Mabrey dealt the late blows. With this, Connecticut walked away with a statement win: their 10th of the season, fourth on the road, and another promise of a stronger future built around Leila Lacan.