Bueckers remains undefeated at Mohegan Sun as Wings beat Connecticut

Connecticut’s Saniya Rivers (22) tries to get past Dallas’ Paige Bueckers in Friday night’s WNBA game in Uncasville.(Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

Paige Bueckers still hasn’t lost game on the floor of the Mohegan Sun Arena while the Connecticut Sun are searching for their first victory since June 6.

Bueckers scored a team-high 21 points and came away with her 17th win on the Mohegan Sun hardwood as visiting Dallas Wings won their second consecutive game with a 86-83 win over the Sun before a sellout crowd of 8,910 on Pride Night.

Bueckers won 15 games in college with UConn and has won her first two professional appearances in Uncasville with the Wings (3-11).

Connecticut veteran Tina Charles finished one point shy of her season-high with 26 points, six rebounds and a steal. It was her fifth performance with more than 20 points this season and the seventh time she has led Connecticut (2-11) in scoring.

Jacy Sheldon had 10 points for Connecticut with two assists. She has scored at least 10 points in four of the last five games. Rookie Aneesah Morrow had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Sun, who has lost five straight.

The last time the Sun lost five in a row was in 2019. Two wins in 13 games is the worst start in franchise history – even with you include four years in Orlando before the Mohegan Tribe brought the team to Connecticut in 2003.

Dallas had a 42-40 lead at the half and the Sun began the second half with 7-2 run to take a three-point lead, 47-44. But Dallas went on a 12-0 run to grab the lead for good and extend their lead to nine points.

In the Wings run, Bueckers stole an inbounds pass from Marina Mabrey and fed Aziaha James to streaked to the basket. The run ended when Arike Ogunbowale intercepted a pass from Lindsay Allen and flew away before pulling up with a 17-foot jump shot and a 56-47 lead with 5:35 left in the third quarter.

Dallas led by one after three quarters, 65-64. The Sun cut the lead to three, 74-71 on a 15-foot jumper from Tina Charles but Dallas got four offensive rebounds on their next possession before Li Yueru was fouled. She hit both foul shots for a 76-71 lead.

Dallas dominated on the glass, outrebounding Connecticut by a 42-29 edge and the Wings pulled down 17 offensive rebounds.

The Sun cut the lead to three after Saniya Rivers hit a three-point shot with 9.1 seconds left but on the inbounds play, Ogunbowale weaved her way through the Sun defense to burn off the final nine seconds to secure the victory.

Mabrey had another tough night for the Sun with eight points – her third straight game with under 10 points. She has hit just six of her last 30 shots from the floor. Mabrey strained her knee during the first half of Friday’s game.

The Sun hit the road for a four-game road trip in seven days. Connecticut plays at expansion Golden State on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. before games in Las Vegas, Seattle and Minnesota.

Rivers had eight points, four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a career-high three steals. … The Sun had a season-high eight blocks. … Dallas had 22 second-chance points and 17 offensive rebounds – new season highs for Connecticut opponents in 2025. … UConn coach Geno Auriemma was in the crowd on Friday night.

Dallas 86, Connecticut 83
At Uncasville
Dallas (86) Hines Allen 2-4 0-0 4, Smith 5-9 2-2 12, Ogunbowale 2-9 2-2 7, Bueckers 7-16 6-7 21, James 5-7 7-8 17, Li 2-5 6-6 11, K Charles 4-8 0-1 9, Carrington 2-9 1-4 5, Quinerly 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-67 24-30
Connecticut (83) Peters 1-3 0-0 2, Tina Charles 8-17 10-11 26, Mabrey 2-10 3-4 8, Sheldon 4-4 0-0 10, Rivers 3-10 0-2 8, Morrow 3-6 4-5 19, Nelson-Ododa 3-5 0-0 6, Hartley 1-6, 4-4 7, Allen 2-2 2-2 6, Brown 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-64 23-28
Dallas (3-11)                  21  21  23  21  — 86
Connecticut (2-11)       15  25  24  19  — 83
Three-point goals: Dallas (4-16) Smith 0-1, Ogunbowale 1-4, Bueckers 1-4, Li 1-1, Charles 1-3, Carrington 0-3); Connecticut 6-18 (Peters 0-1, Charles 0-2, Mabrey 1-6, Sheldon 2-2, Rivers 2-4, Hartley 1-3). Att: 8,910 (sellout)