UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Marina Mabrey made five 3-pointers and finished with 24 points off the bench, Alyssa Thomas hit two free throws with 4.1 seconds to play and the Connecticut Sun beat the Chicago Sky 82-80 on Friday night.
Thomas, who finished with 12 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and four steals, was fouled with the game tied 80-80 and sank both free throws to give the Sun the victory. DeWanna Bonner had the chance to give the Sun the lead with 35 seconds to go but was only able to tie the score when she split a pair of free throws.
The Sun scored the game’s final five points, all from the free-throw line.
Connecticut (21-7) had a 45-35 halftime lead, but Chicago’s Angel Reese scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds in the third as the Sky outscored the Sun 29-18 to take a one-point lead into the fourth.
That lead stretched to 74-68, but Mabrey, playing against her former team, answered with a 3-pointer and a layup to cut the deficit to a point, 76-75, with 4:38 to play.
Reese, who finished with 13 points and 20 rebounds and became the only rookie in WNBA history with 20-plus rebounds in back-to-back games, made two free throws to give Chicago (11-17) an 80-77 lead with 1:52 remaining.
Connecticut’s Tyasha Harris hit two foul shots with 1:01 left to pull the Sun within a point before DiJonai Carrington was called for a blocking foul. A challenge from Connecticut coach Stephanie White overturned the call and the Sky’s Chennedy Carter was charged with an offensive foul.
On the next possession, Bonner was fouled in the lane (Chicago coach Teresa Weatherspoon challenged, but the call was upheld) and made 1 of 2 free throws to tie it 80-80.
Chicago’s Lindsay Allen missed a mid-range jumper with 15 seconds remaining and Bonner grabbed the rebound before Thomas hit the winning free throws.
Mabrey, in her fourth game with Connecticut after being acquired from the Sky on July 17, led all scorers while connecting on 9 of 13 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range. Bonner added 15 points while Thomas and Brionna Jones both finished with 12.
Bonner grabbed eight rebounds and became just the 10th player in WNBA history with at least 3,000 career rebounds (3,003). She is just 10 behind Taj McWilliams-Franklin (3,013) for ninth all-time.
Carter led Chicago with 19 points, Kamilla Cardoso added a career-high 18 and Lindsay Allen had 14.
Reese became the first rookie with multiple 20-rebound games since Tina Charles in 2010. She has 21 double-doubles.
Connecticut scored 27 points off 19 Sky turnovers.
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