Brittney Sykes led the Toronto Tempo to a 106-102 overtime win against the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night, matching her career-high 38 points in the latest WNBA Commissioner's Cup game.
However, the victory didn't come easy.
Brittney Sykes, Marina Mabrey Help Tempo Erase 14-Point Deficit
Toronto trailed by 14 in the second quarter. But Sykes kept the Tempo alive, shooting a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line. She then hit four free throws in the final 80 seconds of regulation to force overtime.
From there, Toronto took control.
Marina Mabrey added 21 points, while Laura Juskaite contributed 19. The Tempo (7-5) have now won four of its last five games.
Connecticut, meanwhile, saw a breakout performance from second-year star Aaliyah Edwards.
The Ontario native posted a career-high 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting. French guard Leïla Lacan matched that total with 24 of her own. Still, the Sun couldn't keep pace in the extra period as they fell to 2-12 on the season.
Where to Watch WNBA Commissioner's Cup Games This Week
Toronto is back in action tomorrow, visiting the Washington Mystics at 7:30 PM ET, live on ION.
The Sun then hosts the Indiana Fever on Saturday at 6 PM ET, live on Peacock.
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).
Atlanta defeated Connecticut 91-75 in Tuesday night's Dream vs Sun matchup, as third-year guard Rhyne Howard led the home team's offense.
The former No. 1 draft pick scored a game-high 36 points, silencing the struggling Sun's defense.
Rhyne Howard Ties Career-High 3-Pointer Stat
Connecticut had zero answers for Howard’s perimeter game. The WNBA All-Star made eight 3-pointers on 19 attempts, shooting 12-of-24 from the field. That stat improves Howard's already impressive season average of 16.5 points per game.
She added three steals and two assists to wrap the night, marking the third time in her career that she's netted eight or more from beyond the arc.
Along with Howard's record-breaking performance, the rest of Atlanta's roster provided consistent support to push the Dream up the WNBA standings.
Allisha Gray, Angel Reese Fuel Atlanta Dream Offense
All-Star guard Allisha Gray chipped in 26 points on a sharp 9-of-17 shooting run. Meanwhile, Angel Reese commanded the glass, securing her 54th career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The victory pushes the surging Dream to a 6-2 record, marking four wins in their last five games. Connecticut, however, now falls to 2-9.
Next up, the Dream travel to Indianapolis on Thursday night, gearing up to face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in a highly anticipated WNBA Commissioner's Cup showdown.
Connecticut Sun star Brittney Griner made WNBA history on Saturday night by scoring her 6,000th career point.
The veteran center is just the 18th player in league history to surpass the milestone. She entered the game against the LA Sparks with 5,999 points, before securing her place in the record books with a smooth four-foot turnaround jumper.
The historic basket helped power the Connecticut Sun to a 84-81 victory over the Sparks, giving the Sun its second win this year.
The game also marked Griner's return to Connecticut's lineup after a rib injury sidelined her at the start of the season.
Brittney Griner Exits Historic WNBA Game After Eye Injury
However, the 10-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year faced a hurdle late in the game's first half.
Griner took a hit to her left eye from Sparks guard Erica Wheeler, forcing her to head to the locker room.
Griner showed her trademark toughness after officials upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1. She sunk both free throws before subsequently sitting out the second half as a precaution.
By the end of the night, Griner totaled nine points, two rebounds, and one block.
The performance lifted her to 16th on the WNBA all-time scoring list, pushing her past legends Lauren Jackson and Seimone Augustus.
Sun head coach Rachid Meziane expressed optimism after the game, noting the eye injury does not appear serious. She expects Griner to feature in tonight's matchup against her former team, the Atlanta Dream.
Griner is also closing in on another milestone. She sits just 15 blocks away from tying Margo Dydek’s all-time record of 877.
Where to Watch Tonight's WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Game
The Sun faces the Dream in tonight's Commissioner's Cup slate, tipping off at 8:30 PM ET on WNBA League Pass.
The Connecticut Sun shook up its roster on Thursday, waiving second-year player Hailey Van Lith after just nine games. The roster move marks the second time a WNBA team has cut the young guard this month.
Connecticut originally claimed Van Lith off waivers earlier this month. Her arrival followed a sudden split with the Chicago Sky — the team that selected her 11th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.
During her brief stint with the Sun, Van Lith provided efficient minutes off the bench.
She averaged 8.1 points and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 49.2% from the field and connecting on 47.1% of her long-range attempts. Despite her production, however, the rebuilding Sun struggled to a 1-8 record this season.
Connecticut Sun Waives Hailey Van Lith, Activates Leïla Lacan
Van Lith entered the league coming off successful college stint and national team showing. The former college star earned Big 12 Player of the Year honors at TCU after winning 3×3 bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Though her time in Connecticut was cut short, team insiders report that Van Lith remains grateful for the opportunity and clear front office communication.
The 5-foot-9 guard will now look for a fresh start elsewhere as the 2026 WNBA season rolls forward.
To fill Van Lith's spot on the active roster, Connecticut moved to activate French guard Leïla Lacan.
Lacan returns to Uncasville following a championship run and Finals MVP performance with France's Basket Landes. She will likely make her season debut this Saturday against the LA Sparks.
Connecticut is on the board, taking down Seattle 80-78 for its first win of the 2026 WNBA season on Wednesday — and they’ll look to run it back against the Storm tonight.
Three Sun rookies finished in double-digit scoring, as Raegan Beers, Nell Angloma, and Charlisse Leger-Walker contributed to a team-record 62 points off the bench.
“The keywords tonight were effort and pride,” said Connecticut head coach Rachid Meziane. “I do think we won this game because we have a lot of pride.”
Seattle will aim to unlock its own offensive front in tonight’s rematch, after the Sun limited star rookie Flau’jae Johnson to just 5 points on Wednesday.
“It’s just a matter of her getting a feel for where her shots are going to come and what are the best shots she can take,” Storm head coach Sonia Raman said of Johnson.
Centers Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga sat out the matchup. However, Malonga could return soon from concussion protocol, providing a boost as Seattle works on improving a league-worst points per game average.
Where to Watch Connecticut Sun vs Seattle Storm Tonight
Seattle hosts Connecticut tonight at 10 PM ET, live on ION.
The Connecticut Sun secured its first victory of the young WNBA season on Wednesday night, defeating the Seattle Storm 80-78.
Kennedy Burke delivered the game's defining moment, converting a clutch, 3-point play with just 2.8 seconds remaining. The 2026 free agency acquisition scored a total 15 points for the Sun.
Although Seattle’s Natisha Hiedeman got a clean look at a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, her shot missed as time expired to seal the Sun's hard-fought win.
Sun Lineup Shifts After Aneesah Morrow Injury
Connecticut entered the game riding a five-game losing streak, tying for the longest opening-season drought in franchise history.
The Sun's night got worse when starter Aneesah Morrow exited with an apparent injury minutes into the second quarter. Morrow had logged double-doubles in her previous four games, but finished Wednesday's matchup with just two points in seven minutes.
With the starting unit combining for four points on 1-of-7 shooting in the first half, the Sun subsequently shifted their lineup, starting three rookies in the second. That — combined with Burke's buzzer-beater — sparked a huge scoring spree.
Kennedy Burke Spoils Seattle Comeback in Sun vs Storm Win
Seattle fought back late despite missing center Dominique Malonga, who sat out her second straight game due to concussion protocol. Hiedeman kept the Storm competitive by putting up 20 points, while Mackenzie Holmes added a career-high 18.
Jade Melbourne then scored a reverse layup with 59 seconds remaining to give Seattle its first second-half lead at 76-75.
But Burke's late-game heroics ultimately handed the Storm its third consecutive defeat. The cross-conference rivals face off again this Friday in Seattle.
Tina Charles has officially announced her retirement, bringing an end to one of the most accomplished careers in WNBA history.
"Today, I officially announce my retirement from basketball," Charles wrote in a social media post.
"Fifteen years at the professional level and a lifetime of love for this game... Through it all, I learned how to show up. When doubt got loud and narratives were written about me, I kept showing up. That's the New Yorker in me, where resilience is built, not talked about."
The 37-year-old steps away after 14 seasons as the league's all-time leading rebounder and second all-time top scorer.
Charles finishes her career with 4,262 rebounds and 8,396 points, trailing only Diana Taurasi on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list.
Drafted No. 1 overall by the Connecticut Sun in 2010, the UConn product made an immediate impact at the professional level. She won Rookie of the Year before earning MVP honors in 2012, going on to become an eight-time WNBA All-Star.
Charles played for multiple teams throughout her career, including the New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, and Atlanta Dream, before returning to Connecticut in 2025. In her final season, she averaged 16.3 points and 5.8 rebounds.
While she never got the chance to play in a WNBA finals, Charles's international basketball resume includes three Olympic gold medals and multiple FIBA World Cup titles with Team USA.
Her impact extended off the court as well.
"Her legacy will be defined not only by her excellence on the court, but by the standard she set as a leader, a teammate, and a champion for the communities she touched," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a league statement.
Charles leaves the game as one of the most defining players in WNBA history.
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 Comets are officially slated for a comeback, as the WNBA and the Fertitta family confirmed on Monday that the Houston Rockets owners will buy the Connecticut Sun and relocate the franchise to Texas.
Previously owned by the Mohegan Tribe, the Sun will spend the 2026 WNBA season in Uncasville before tipping off the 2027 campaign in the Lone Star State.
"I would have loved to remain in the region for our fan base," Sun president Jen Rizzotti told The AP. "I'm at a point now where my focus turns to making this the best season we can have.... It's an opportunity to say thank you to them."
Though the sale still requires approval from the WNBA Board of Governors, the Comets are already staffing up, with reports emerging that newly tapped Houston assistant GM and vice president of analytics Kevin Pelton — a former ESPN NBA journalist — will work alongside the Sun's front office to transition the team this year.
The Comets' new owners are aiming to return the franchise to its initial heights, with Houston winning the first four WNBA championships from 1997 to 2000 — fueled by stars Cynthia Cooper, Sheryl Swoopes, and Tina Thompson.
The team then suspended operations in 2009, hanging onto the brand rights for potential future investment.
"Houston has a proud championship history in the WNBA," said Rockets alternate governor Patrick Fertitta in a Monday press release. "We believe the time is right to begin the next great era of Comets basketball."
How to buy Houston Comets merch, season tickets
Fans can both register for updates and lock in 2027 season tickets at HoustonComets.com.
To coincide with the historic sale, the team also dropped a limited edition apparel line of WNBA Houston T-shirts, polos, hoodies, and more, available now at RocketsShop.com.