Sun fall, 87-78, in rematch vs. Liberty as Sabrina Ionescu scores 36

Emily Adams, Hartford Courant on Aug 3, 2025

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UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Connecticut Sun gave the New York Liberty a fight in Sunday’s rematch after upsetting the defending WNBA champions Friday night, but the last-place team in the league came up short in an 87-78 loss at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Sun couldn’t overcome a spectacular effort from Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who posted a double-double with a season-high 36 points, shooting 63.6% from the field to go with 11 rebounds and four assists. New York fans in the crowd were chanting “MVP” by the end of the fourth quarter, and Ionescu left the floor with a wave to the pocket of seafoam screaming her name in the upper bowl.

UConn legend Tina Charles was the centerpiece for Connecticut once again with 17 points, eight rebounds and two assists, and rookie Aneesah Morrow came just short of her third career double-double with 16 points and nine boards plus a team-leading two blocks. Star guard Marina Mabrey also finished in double digits with 10 points, though she continues to struggle with efficiency, shooting 3 for 12 from the field and 1 for 7 on 3-pointers.

It looked early like Sunday’s rematch was going to be another dogfight with seven tie scores and four lead changes in the first half, but the Sun fell into a hole late in the opening quarter, allowing the Liberty to finish on a 9-0 run. Ionescu scored 16 points, a single-quarter season high, to power the Liberty to a 25-19 lead at the end of the first, though Connecticut managed to hold her to just four points in the second.

Defense once again powered the Sun on both ends of the floor, but they were less successful capitalizing on their opportunities than they were in Friday’s win. Connecticut forced 13 turnovers against the Liberty in the first half but converted for just eight points, and the team had a dismal start from beyond the arc, hitting 2 of 11 shots. New York also forced 12 turnovers against Connecticut in the half, for 13 points. Ionescu and All-Star center Jonquel Jones combined for 33 points for the Liberty, but the Sun stayed in the game behind a balanced offensive effort with eight different scorers.

The Sun struggled offensively coming out of halftime, going without a field goal for nearly three minutes in the third quarter to allow the Liberty to open an 11-point lead. An and-1 layup by Marina Mabrey ended the drought to help Connecticut pull back within seven, but New York kept its foot on the gas to end the third quarter up 66-57. The Sun continued to lean on their defense, holding Jones without a point in the third quarter, though Ionescu got hot again with nine points, including her first 3-point make of the game.

The Liberty pulled away in the fourth, going on an 8-2 run over the first three minutes of the quarter. Though the Sun got their deficit back to single digits in the final minute, it couldn’t fully erase New York’s lead after it pulled ahead by as many as 17. Jones put up eight points in the final quarter to finish with 21, plus nine rebounds. Belgian forward Emma Meesseman added 11 points in her first WNBA appearance since 2022 after she signed with New York on Friday morning.