New York pulled away late to score an 89-80 win over Connecticut in Monday night's Liberty vs Sun WNBA showdown at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Connecticut kept the game close for most of the night, but New York's discipline at the free-throw line proved to be the difference in a tightly contested WNBA Commissioner's Cup clash.
Edwards, Nelson-Ododa Lead Connecticut's Frontcourt
Aaliyah Edwards and Olivia Nelson-Ododa carried the Sun's offense in the paint, combining for 30 points with 15 apiece.
Nelson-Ododa was perfect from the field, going 6-for-6 while adding a team-high eight rebounds. Edwards, meanwhile, matched that scoring output by attacking the rim and converting baseline floaters to keep the Liberty's defense off balance.
In the backcourt, Saniya Rivers filled the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Despite earning a rare backcourt violation, the 6-foot-1 guard also added two blocks, showing versatility on both ends.
Connecticut shot 41.7% in the first half, but foul trouble caught up to the Sun after the break. Heavy whistles ended up putting New York in the bonus early in the third quarter.
The Liberty then converted at the charity stripe with Breanna Stewart going 9-for-9. The power forward's game-high 28 points helped the team pull away just enough to seal the win.
Where to Watch WNBA Commissioner's Cup Games This Week
Connecticut next faces the Toronto Tempo on Wednesday at 7 PM ET (WNBA League Pass). Later, the Liberty visit the Atlanta Dream on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass).
Aneesah Morrow led the Sun with 21 points, while Aaliyah Edwards added 14 as the Connecticut Sun rallied to beat expansion side Toronto Tempo 83-78 in Wednesday's WNBA preseason action.
Morrow also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds off the bench, helping fuel a comeback that did not seem likely from the start.
Playing in Toronto's WNBA debut, Connecticut trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter. The Sun remained down nine in the fourth, before mounting a 17-7 run.
That was the stretch that changed the game.
Connecticut tightened defensively, found more rhythm offensively, and leaned on its depth to shift momentum late — something head coach Rachid Meziane pointed to after the game.
“I really love the energy this group is bringing,” Meziane said. “I think that we played tonight with a lot of energy. We didn’t lose our mind when the game was a little bit tough for us. We stayed locked in, we reacted and we won it."
In a homecoming of sorts, Canada international Edwards added five rebounds while shooting 6-of-8 from the field.
Now entering her first full season with the Sun after last season's midseason trade, the former Mystics recruit continues to carve out a larger role in Uncasville. She averaged 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds over 21 games with Washington before the move.
Wednesday night's win also marks Morrow's second career 20-point game, another early sign of her growing impact on Connecticut's lineup.
How to Watch Aneesah Morrow & Aaliyah Edwards in WNBA Preseason
Connecticut now returns home to face the New York Liberty on May 3rd at 5 PM ET, live on WNBA League Pass.
The 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament has arrived, with the competition tipping off a fully refreshed bracket on Wednesday night — with $300,000 on the line.
With 2025 champion Napheesa Collier sidelined with injury, the 2026 tournament is led by No. 1 seeds Kelsey Mitchell (Hive BC), Paige Bueckers (Breeze BC), Allisha Gray (Mist BC), and Breanna Stewart (Mist BC).
Last year's runner-up Aaliyah Edwards (Lunar Owls) is also back in the mix for the three-day tournament, with Unrivaled rookies Bueckers, Sonia Citron (Hive BC), Saniya Rivers (Vinyl BC), and Dominique Malonga (Breeze BC) gearing up to make their 1v1 debuts.
Originally a 32-player field divided into four eight-player pods, the offseason league dropped a bracket update reflecting recent injuries late Tuesday night, with previously announced competitors Skylar Diggins (Lunar Owls), Jordin Canada (Laces BC), Kahleah Copper (Rose BC), and Rickea Jackson (Breeze BC) out for the now-28-player tournament.
As a result, four players — Rivers as well as Phantom BC's Kelsey Plum, Hive BC's Natisha Hiedeman, and Mist BC's Allisha Gray — received byes through to Friday's second round.
All games in the 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament will run a maximum of 10 minutes or until a player reaches 11 points, with a seven-second shot clock and make-it, take-it possession.
Each knockout round will set the scene for Saturday's best-of-three final series, with the champion taking home $200,000, while the runner-up receives $50,000 and semifinalists cash in with $25,000 each.
Fans can also get in on the action by filling out their own 1v1 brackets.
How to watch the 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 tournament
The 1v1 tournament opens with all first round matchups on Wednesday, with the competition tipping off live at 7 PM ET on truTV and Max.
With less than four weeks left in the 2026 Unrivaled regular season, the 3x3 basketball league's popular 1v1 tournament is returning for its second iteration in Miami this month.
Tipping off on Wednesday, February 11th, the three-day tournament will feature 32 Unrivaled athletes competing for a piece of the competition's $300,000 purse.
With reigning Unrivaled 1v1 champion Napheesa Collier (Lunar Owls) sidelined with injury, 2025 runner-up Aaliyah Edwards (Lunar Owls) will hold court alongside semifinalist Arike Ogunbowale (Mist BC), while 2026 rookies like Breeze BC's Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga, as well as Hive BC's Saniya Rivers and Sonia Citron, will also test out their 1v1 skills.
Unrivaled has divided the talent pool into four eight-player pods based on frontcourt and backcourt positions.
The eventual winner of the 2026 Unrivaled 1v1 basketball tournament will take home $200,000, with a $50,000 check going to the runner-up and $25,000 paydays for each of the semifinalists.
Following next Wednesday's opening round, the competition will break for one day before continuing on Friday, February 13th, with the semifinals and final set for Saturday, February 14th.
How to vote for the Unrivaled 1v1 tournament bracket
Fans can now vote alongside athletes, coaches, and media to determine the seeding of the 1v1 tournament's 32 athletes, with the final bracket dropping on Saturday.
Vote today by ranking each pod's players online.
UConn basketball will celebrate one of its most consistent stars Wednesday night, when WNBA standout and UConn alum Aaliyah Edwards becomes the latest Huskies of Honor member before the women's team hosts Xavier at Gampel Pavilion.
Edwards epitomized reliability throughout her career at UConn, missing just three games in four seasons while steadily improving her game. She earned BIG EAST Sixth Woman of the Year in 2021 and BIG EAST Most Improved Player in 2023. In her final year, she collected 2024 All-BIG EAST, Wooden Award All-American, and WBCA All-American honors.
The Kingston, Ontario native racked up 1,861 points and 1,020 rebounds through her four years, finishing 16th in program history in total career points and eighth in rebounds. The Washington Mystics took Edwards No. 6 overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, before a midseason trade saw her join the Connecticut Sun last year.
Legendary UConn basketball coach Geno Auriemma praised Edwards's approach, celebrating both her improvement and her drive during a rough run for the now-No. 1 team.
"Sometimes careers go smoothly; sometimes it's rocky," said Auriemma. "[Edwards] managed to make the best out of a very difficult situation."
Her No. 3 jersey will be added to the wall at Gampel Pavilion during tonight's ceremony.
Of course, today's reigning NCAA champions enter the Xavier rematch on a perfect 21-0 record, having won 16 consecutive victories by at least 25 points. The Huskies routed the unranked Musketeers 104-39 in their first meeting back in late November, hitting a season-high 18 three-pointers while forcing 31 turnovers.
Despite their odds, Auriemma emphasized that UConn basketball must avoid complacency going forward. The team already faced challenges against Seton Hall in Saturday's weather-impacted matchup, overcoming an early deficit to win 92-52.
How to watch UConn basketball in this week's NCAA slate
UConn tips off against Xavier on Wednesday at 7 PM ET, live on Peacock.
However, bigger tests are looming as the Huskies prepare to face SEC mainstay No. 15 Tennessee this Sunday at 12 PM ET, live on FOX.
Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball is loading up on fresh talent, officially signing the Top 3 WNBA rookies as first-year Washington Mystics stars Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen join Dallas Wings superstar Paige Bueckers on the offseason league's expanded 2026 roster.
As the only rookie WNBA All-Stars in 2025, Bueckers, Citron, and Iriafen led their class in points per game, field goals made, and field goal percentage while breaking multiple rookie records along the way.
Connecticut Sun first-year Saniya Rivers will also be making her Unrivaled debut this winter, joining the league's second season after ranking sixth in WNBA rookie shooting while leading her class in blocks per game.
Unrivaled has already proven to be a springboard for young players, with 2024 newcomers Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks) and Aaliyah Edwards (Connecticut Sun) stepping into the 3×3 spotlight this past January.
Both Jackson and Edwards will return to the Miami-based competition in 2026, with fellow 2024 WNBA rookie Kate Martin of the Golden State Valkyries also entering the Unrivaled fray.
Unrivaled has also tapped future WNBA rookies in off-court deals, racking up more than a dozen big-name NIL signings ahead of its 2026 tip-off.
Unrivaled roster announcements will continue through October 1st, with the league set to tip off in January.
Coming off a series of strategic transactions, the No. 10 Washington Mystics will forge ahead on Friday night, taking on the short-staffed No. 6 Indiana Fever with a chance to play spoiler as they reshape their 2025 expectations from below the postseason cutoff line.
"There's just so many different success stories with this group," Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said following Washington's 88-83 loss to the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.
The Mystics have lost five of their last six games, and will take the court on Friday without injured new addition Jacy Sheldon and starting center Shakira Austin.
While Washington exceeded this year's early-season projections — skyrocketing above the playoff line behind leading scorer Brittney Sykes and the dynamic rookie duo of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron — the now-fading Mystics chose to shift gears at the trade deadline, sending Sykes to the No. 8 Seattle Storm and shipping second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards off to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
With their natural 2026 draft pick secured, Washington has a shot at adding a top first-round prospect should they play out the rest of the regular season at the bottom of the WNBA standings — in other words, by strategically tanking the final weeks of 2025 play.
On the other hand, the injury-laden Indiana enters Friday's action eyeing a win after falling to the No. 11 Dallas Wings by just one point on Tuesday.
How to watch the Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever on Friday
The No. 10 Mystics will take on the No. 6 Fever in Indianapolis at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ION.
Thursday's WNBA trade deadline came and went with one final flurry of activity, as the No. 10 Washington Mystics leaned all the way into their rebuild by sending 2024 No. 6 draft pick Aaliyah Edwards to the No. 13 Connecticut Sun.
"Bringing Aaliyah to the Connecticut Sun is more than just a roster move.... Aaliyah is a transformational talent with the mindset and drive that aligns with our vision of building a championship culture," Sun GM Morgan Tuck said in a statement. "Aaliyah is the kind of person and player who can help redefine the future of this organization and we're ready to build that future together."
In return for Edwards, Connecticut sent 2024 No. 5 draft pick Jacy Sheldon to the Mystics, with Washington also receiving the right to a first-round pick swap in 2026 WNBA Draft in the trade deal.
The move follows a Tuesday trade in which the Mystics offloaded their leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the No. 6 Seattle Storm in return for forward Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round draft pick.
While a few major midseason moves emerged this week, seven of the league's 13 teams decided to forego any trades, with No. 2 New York, No. 3 Atlanta, No. 4 Phoenix, No. 5 Indiana, No. 8 Golden State, No. 9 LA, and No. 11 Chicago holding their rosters steady in the final week of the transaction window.
The clock is ticking down toward the WNBA trade deadline, as teams around the league evaluate their rosters and make midseason moves ahead of Thursday's 3 PM ET final whistle.
The No. 10 Washington Mystics made the most recent transactional splash, sending leading scorer Brittney Sykes to the No. 6 Seattle Storm on Tuesday.
In return, Washington received forward Alysha Clark, guard Zia Cooke, and a 2026 first-round draft pick — though the Mystics immediately waived Cooke as well as center Sika Koné.
Teams now have a little more than 24 hours to decide if they’re stocking up for the postseason or punting this year's potential to shore up future prospects.
Though the WNBA trade deadline has historically been less dramatic than other leagues thanks to hard salary caps and roster limitations, ramped-up expansion and the promise of a new CBA appear to be greasing the wheels this year.
While not every title contender has roster room to spare, teams in line for the lottery will likely look to clean house this week.
To that end, Washington may still be dealing: 2024 No. 6 overall draft pick Aaliyah Edwards played just seven minutes for the Mystics in their 78-64 loss to the No. 11 Chicago Sky on Tuesday, sparking rumors of another potential big trade.
As for the last-place Connecticut Sun, guard Marina Mabrey could serve as a last-minute asset after the team initially denied Mabrey's offseason trade request.
Team Clark has youth on their side this weekend, with Mystics rookie Sonia Citron gearing up to hit Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star court alongside Washington teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Kiki Iriafen.
"I was not expecting this at all," Citron told WNBA legend Lisa Leslie on Between the Lines last week, referencing her surprise All-Star call-up. "I'm still in shock. I don't really think it's hit me yet."
"We're young, we've got a bunch of shooters, a little bit of everything" she said of Team Clark's lineup.
Saturday's game isn't Citron's only assignment this weekend, with the All-Star debutant also set to compete in Friday's 3-Point Contest.
The Mystics are on the rise this year, exceeding season expectations behind first-year firepower to send three players in Citron, Iriafen, and Washington's scoring leader Brittney Sykes to the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.
Citron is currently averaging five rebounds and 14 points per game — trailing only Sykes's 17 points per game on Washington's stat sheet. Her rookie campaign has her shooting 45% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc.
Fellow first-year Iriafen is also impressing, leading the Mystics with 8.5 rebounds per game as well as sinking nearly 12 points per game while shooting 46% from the field.
"[The rookies] have really played a key piece in our success this season with us being so young, but also them being so adaptable," second-year forward Aaliyah Edwards told Leslie in an earlier episode. "And they're runners for Rookie of the Year, so why not only have one when you can have two? I'm just loving it."
How to attend a live taping of "Between the Lines"
Just Women's Sports is taking over Indianapolis with multi-faceted activations for the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend — including a live recording of Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie.
Featuring interviews with Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever), the exclusive podcast taping will occur at 110 S Pennsylvania Street at 3 PM ET on Saturday.