Dream-Sun Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jul 30 2011 3:09PM

To bounce back from their first home loss in nearly a year, the Connecticut Sun must take down a red-hot opponent which dealt them the most lopsided home loss in franchise history when the teams last met.

The visiting Atlanta Dream try to tie a franchise record by winning their sixth in a row Sunday as their season series with the Sun begins.

Connecticut was the league's last unbeaten team at home before a 69-58 loss to Eastern Conference-leading Indiana on Thursday. The Sun (10-6) shot a season-low 30.6 percent, went 1 of 16 from 3-point range and were held below 60 points for the first time since July 2, 2009.

The loss was their first in nine home games, including seven this year, since Aug. 15. They also had a season-high, four-game overall win streak snapped.

"It seems about twice every year I don't think we can shoot any worse than what we do," coach Mike Thibault said. "We wasted a really good defensive effort ... but we couldn't make a shot to save our life."

All-Star center Tina Charles posted her 32nd double-double in 50 career games but was held to 13 points, about five below her team-leading average. She was limited to six points during a 94-62 home loss to the Dream on July 30, 2010, in the teams' most recent meeting. Charles had averaged 23.7 points in her first three games against Atlanta.

This time, Charles and the Sun will face a Dream team that's surging behind a rejuvenated Angel McCoughtry.

Atlanta's All-Star forward, third in the league with 21.1 points per game in 2010, seemed to feel the effects from a knee injury suffered in training camp earlier this season. She averaged 15.5 points on 35.9 percent shooting during her first 11 games but has scored 26.2 per contest over the past five.

McCoughtry missed her first six shots against Los Angeles on Thursday but finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists during an 89-80 victory.

"We are feeling good about ourselves and we want to keep this going," McCoughtry said. "We want to make the playoffs, and that is where the momentum is coming from right now."

Atlanta (8-9) will try to reach .500 for the first time this season by matching the longest win streak in team history at six, achieved at the start of last season en route to the franchise's first WNBA finals appearance.

The Dream also are searching for their seventh win in nine matchups with Connecticut. McCoughtry averaged 27.8 points last season against the Sun and helped her team score 94.8 per game while winning three of four meetings.

Montgomery, Jones help Sun to 99-92 win over Dream

Posted Jul 31 2011 9:15PM

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) Connecticut Sun coach Mike Thibault has seen a lot in his nine years coaching in the WNBA. But even he admitted that his experience on Sunday was special.

``That might be one of the (darndest) games I've ever seen since I've been in the league,'' Thibault said.

Renee Montgomery scored 19 points and Asjha Jones had 17, including eight in the final 3:50, to lead the Sun to a 99-92 win over the Atlanta Dream. The game featured 16 lead changes, Montgomery's halfcourt shot to end the third period and plenty of physical play.

Danielle McCray scored 16 points and Tina Charles had 10 points and 11 rebounds to help the Sun (11-6) overcome a 10-point deficit in the second half for their fifth win in six games to improve to 8-1 at home.

``I thought we were playing horribly defensively at halftime, they made some great shots, but they shot 62 percent in the second half and lost,'' Thibault said. ``I thought we forced turnovers, we got to the free-throw line, and we hung in the game when it looked pretty bleak.''

Angel McCoughtry scored 19 of her 36 points in the fourth quarter for Atlanta (8-10). McCoughtry, Atlanta's leading scorer, was scratched from the starting lineup and didn't appear until 3:15 remained in the first quarter.

Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors said McCoughtry wasn't feeling well Sunday morning.

``It's one of those things, you just don't feel well, I think she wanted to she see when I came in how I was feeling,'' McCoughtry said, ``but once you start playing, the jitters go away, the bug goes away.''

Erika DeSouza and Coco Miller had 18 points each and Iziane Castro Marques scored 10 for the Dream. DeSouza also had nine rebounds.

Jones' three-point play with 1:47 left gave the Sun the lead for good at 91-89. Connecticut sealed the game by making eight free throws over the final 1:12.

Montgomery's half-court shot to end the third period keyed a 7-0 run in the last 40 seconds, trimming Atlanta's lead to 69-66.

``There wasn't much of a thought process,'' Montgomery said. ``I thought there was no way I got it off in time.''

Officials reviewed the play and deemed the shot good.

``That's what daggered us,'' McCoughtry said.

The Dream trailed by as much as 12 before a 10-0 run late in the first half to cut it to 40-38. Atlanta trailed 45-42 at halftime.

Connecticut finished was 9 for 19 on 3s and 20 for 29 on free throws, while Atlanta was 3 for 12 from beyond the arc and 11 for 16 from the line.

``It was wild. It was a hard-fought game on both sides,'' Meadors said. ``We didn't go to the free-throw line as much as they did and we had a lot of points to makeup from there and also from the 3-point line. ... Connecticut got some breaks at the end and they took advantage.''

• Dream: --
• Sun: --

• Dream: de Souza
• Sun: --

• Lead Changes: 16
• Times Tied: 12

• Arena: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
• Officials: #17 Scott Twardoski, #45 Tom Mauer, #53 Jeff Smith
• Attendance: 6955
• Duration: 2:04