Chicago, IL — Tina Charles reached a historic milestone with her 200th career double-double, while Bria Hartley matched her with 23 points as the Connecticut Sun held off a furious rally by the Chicago Sky to win 94-84 on Saturday, notching their third straight victory—their longest streak of the season.
Charles added 10 rebounds to her stat line, further cementing her status as the WNBA’s all-time leader in double-doubles. Meanwhile, Hartley delivered a near-perfect offensive performance, going 8-of-9 from the field, including a clutch 3-pointer with two minutes left that helped shut the door on Chicago’s comeback hopes.
Sun Build Big Lead, Weather Late Storm
Connecticut (9-27) looked in complete control late in the third quarter, building a 21-point lead with just over three minutes to go. But the Sky weren’t done.
Led by Kia Nurse, who came alive after a quiet first half, Chicago (9-27) stormed back, trimming the lead to just four points with under five minutes remaining. But Hartley’s timely 3-ball—her third of the game—put the Sun up 10 and stopped the bleeding for good.
Marina Mabrey chipped in with 20 points, and Saniya Rivers added 13 off the bench for the Sun, who also picked up just their third road win of the year.
Sky’s Late Push Falls Short
Nurse, who was scoreless until the final minute of the first half, ended with 19 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to lead Chicago’s charge. Kamilla Cardoso contributed 18 points, Ariel Atkins had 12, and Angel Reese posted 11 points and 11 rebounds, tying A’ja Wilson for the league lead with 19 double-doubles on the season.
The game also saw some early drama, as Sky head coach Tyler Marsh was ejected just two minutes into the second quarter after a heated exchange with officials over a no-call. At the time, the Sky trailed 33-20.
By the Numbers
Connecticut: Shot 61% in the first quarter, finished with 26 points off 17 Chicago turnovers.
Chicago: Made 9 of 19 3-pointers, but struggled at the line (15-for-26) and were sloppy with the ball.
The Sun raced out to a 28-13 lead in the first, behind 12 points from Mabrey, setting the tone early with efficient shooting and pressure defense. Chicago, on the other hand, started cold and went 1-for-7 from the free-throw line in the first quarter, digging a hole they ultimately couldn’t climb out of.
