Midway through July, the Connecticut Sun looked to be in desperate need of the upcoming Olympic hiatus. After bouncing back and winning their last three games before the break, they probably wished they didn't have to take the next month off.

In their first game back, the Sun try to extend their win streak and protect their hold on first place in the Eastern Conference when they visit the fourth-place Indiana Fever on Thursday night.

Connecticut (16-10) cruised through the first half of the season, winning 13 of its first 18 games. The Sun, though, ran into problems, averaging 71.2 points - 7.5 fewer than their season average - while dropping five straight from July 5-18.

At that point, Connecticut looked like it would benefit from the WNBA's month-long Olympic break, but the Sun rebounded to win their final three games before the temporary shutdown. They scored 81.0 points per game and posted an 18.3 average margin of victory during the win streak.

Asjha Jones keyed Connecticut's resurgence. The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 19.7 points and shot 55.8 percent (24-for-43) from the field in that stretch, and had 27 points in an 82-60 win over Washington on July 27 in the team's last game.

Jones, averaging career highs of 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting a career-best 48.9 percent from the field, was rewarded with a three-year contract extension Aug. 13.

"I'm just excited knowing that Asjha is going to be here for the next several years," said Sun coach Mike Thibault, an assistant with the U.S. national team that won gold in Beijing.

"What she's done to become a prime time player in this league is terrific. She's done everything you could ask a player to do to become a leader and a go-to player. She's going to be an All-Star for a long, long time. She's a major reason for why we are where we are."

That would be atop the East, a half-game ahead of New York and Detroit. Indiana (12-14) is in the fourth and final playoff spot.

The Fever had lost three straight before beating Phoenix 88-84 on July 27 in their final game before the break. Tamika Catchings, who won her second gold medal in Beijing, scored a season-high 25 points and added five rebounds and six assists while going 5-for-5 from 3-point range.

Indiana is the only team in the East that Connecticut hasn't beaten this season. The Fever routed the Sun 75-46 on May 27 and dealt them the first loss of their five-game July skid with an 81-74 victory July 5.

Indiana forward Katie Douglas averaged 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists in those games.