Dream-Sun Preview

By PAT EATON-ROBB
Posted Sep 15 2011 1:28PM

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) Connecticut coach Mike Thibault believes his team's best years are ahead of it, and center Tina Charles says the Sun's season already can be considered a success.

But that doesn't mean they wouldn't like to win the WNBA championship.

After missing the playoffs each of the last two seasons, the Sun finished the regular season this year at 21-13, tied for the best record in the conference, despite having seven players with fewer than three years of WNBA experience.

Connecticut, the second seed in the East, will host defending conference champion Atlanta in the first game of Round 1 on Friday night.

"In some ways we are, I won't say a year ahead of schedule, but we're making progress at a pretty good rate right now, yet we're still the first or second youngest team in the league," Thibault said. "We'll probably add another really good player next year, so we have a lot in front of us. But the opportunity is still right there now, so let's seize as much of it as we can."

The Sun has the same core as in 2010, when the team went 17-17 after trading away veteran Lindsay Whalen to Minnesota for the top pick in the draft (Charles) and another former University of Connecticut star, Renee Montgomery.

"We were a whole new team and young," said forward Asjha Jones, who is in her 10th WNBA season and one of the Sun's few veterans. "New and young doesn't really go well together. This year everybody's been overseas, they are more mature. And once everyone is more comfortable in their roles, basketball comes a little bit easier."

Charles has solidified her role as team's top option, dominating the post. She averaged 17.6 points per game, led the league in rebounding at 11 per game and broke her own WNBA record by putting up double figures in both categories 23 times this season.

"I just see myself as somebody to be there on the offensive and defensive end," she said. "Just somebody to keep working and do the little things my team needs me to do."

The playoff series with Atlanta will provide the league with the marquee matchup of Charles and Angel McCoughtry, the first pick in the 2009 draft.

The Dream's star, who faced Charles and Montgomery often while playing in college at Louisville, said she's not surprised by the Sun's success, because the team features five former Huskies.

"That's why they are in the playoffs now," she said. "They know what it takes. They've been there multiple times. They've been coached by the best, so they know what it takes to be there. They're hungry."

Thibault said it has also helped to have Jones and another veteran, Kara Lawson, healthy all season, after both missed significant time a year ago.

Lawson is the only player on the roster to have won a WNBA championship, having been part of Sacramento's championship team in 2005. She said if the Sun wants to win this season, players need to put the regular-season success behind them and lock in on preparing for the Dream and McCoughtry, who is averaging over 21 points per game.

"We feel like we have as good a shot as anyone in the East," she said. "It's such an emotional roller-coaster that you can't get caught looking at anything else."

Harding helps Dream win playoff opener

Posted Sep 16 2011 11:03PM

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) The Atlanta Dream appeared to be in trouble when leading scorer Angel McCoughtry headed to the bench with her fifth foul with 9:10 remaining Friday night.

It turns out McCoughtry's teammates were ready to pick up the slack.

Lindsey Harding scored 10 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Dream rallied to beat the Connecticut Sun 89-84 in Game 1 of their playoff series.

McCoughtry finished with 16 points despite missing most of the final period. Erika DeSouza and Armintie Price scored 14 apiece for Atlanta, and Sancho Lyttle had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

``When I saw (McCoughtry) get that fifth foul, I was like, `Oh, jeez, people are going to have to step up and score and also get these stops,''' Harding said. ``And we were able to do that.''

Renee Montgomery and Asjha Jones had 16 points apiece for Connecticut.

Game 2 of the best-of-three Eastern Conference semifinals is Sunday in Atlanta.

Connecticut led 68-63 when McCoughtry was whistled for her fifth foul. But Iziane Castro Marques made a pair of 3-pointers to help fuel an 11-4 run.

McCoughtry didn't return until the final minute.

``They were probably better off with Angel on the bench in foul trouble because then they had to get their entire team involved and they got shots from everybody,'' Jones said. ``Their points were distributed pretty evenly throughout the team. That made it tough on us. They were rotating and getting open shots, or they were getting out on the fast break and getting good looks at the basket.''

Atlanta made 27 of 33 free throws, including 12 for 15 in the fourth period. It also forced eight of the Sun's 14 turnovers in the fourth quarter.

``Angel said, `Coach they're doing good without me, don't put me back in,''' Atlanta coach Marynell Meadors said. ``She's all about winning. Every game with Atlanta and Connecticut are grind it out. I give a lot of credit to Connecticut. They put a defense on us that caused us some issues. But we played and persevered.''

Atlanta held Connecticut leading scorer Tina Charles to 12 points and outrebounded the Sun 46-29.

``They were a little more physical than we were. They understood you can do that in the playoffs,'' Sun coach Mike Thibault said. ``Some things are called and some things aren't. They know the difference.''

Atlanta missed 11 of its first 13 shots and trailed by as many as eight in the first half, 39-31. But the Dream closed the first half with an 8-2 run to get within two at the break.

``At this point in the year, you have to have short memory, so your only focus is on what happens next. For us, we're in a must-win situation and that's the only thing that we are focused on,'' Sun guard Kara Lawson said. ``We have to try to figure out how we can go down there and get a win.''

• Dream: --
• Sun: --

• Dream: --
• Sun: --

• Lead Changes: 9
• Times Tied: 15

• Arena: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
• Officials: #39 Michael Price, #7 Clarke Stevens, #34 Maj Forsberg
• Attendance: 7373
• Duration: 2:05