Tyasha Harris scored 13 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter, including two critical free throws with 11.3 seconds left, as the Connecticut Sun defeated the Indiana Fever 88-84 in Indianapolis on Monday night.
The Sun’s Alyssa Thomas, who scored a game-high 24 points, had the ball and was looking for a screen from Harris, who was hit by the Fever’s Temi Fagbenle. The call was confirmed after a lengthy video review, and Harris’ free throws broke an 84-84 tie.
Thomas, who put up 14 rebounds and nine assists, grabbed the rebound of an Indiana missed layup and was fouled with 5.1 seconds to play. She also hit both free throws. DeWanna Bonner added 22 points, 16 in the second half, for the Sun (3-0).
Caitlin Clark shook off a second-quarter injury scare and scored 17 points, and Kelsey Mitchell also netted 17 for the Fever (0-4), who were playing Connecticut for the second time this season.
The game had 10 ties and 10 lead changes, including four and six, respectively, in the fourth quarter.
A 3-pointer by Harris gave the Sun an 82-78 lead, Mitchell’s finger roll layup cut the deficit to two, and Clark’s layup tied the game with 1:04 remaining. Bonner gave the Sun an 84-82 lead with 41.4 seconds to play but Boston’s 8-foot pullup tied it again with 30.2 seconds left, setting the stage for the game-winning free throws.
The Fever outshot the Sun 47.8 percent to 40.5 percent and made 6 of 20 from 3-point range vs. 4 of 19 by the visitors. But Indiana had 17 turnovers to only eight for Connecticut.
Bonner and Thomas led a charge as the Sun scored the first eight points of the third quarter to take a 49-44 lead. Bonner had 11 points and Thomas had four points and three assists as the margin grew to 60-51 with just under five minutes left in the period.
However, Fagbenle netted six straight points for the Fever and Clark scored on a finger roll as Indiana cut its deficit to 64-61 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Sun led by nine midway through the first quarter, but Mitchell and Erica Wheeler combined to score the Fever’s last eight points of the quarter to forge a 26-26 tie.
Clark had eight before leaving after stumbling to the floor and appearing to hurt her left ankle with 5:29 left in the second quarter. The rookie, who began the night averaging a team-best 17 points per game, went to the locker room but returned to the bench shortly afterward. She sat out the rest of the half but was back in the game to start the third quarter.
–Field Level Media
