Paige Bueckers scores 21 points in return to Connecticut as Wings beat Sun 86-83
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Paige Bueckers had 21 points and seven assists in the former UConn star’s return to Connecticut, fellow rookie Aziaha James scored all of her season-high 17 points in the second half, and the Dallas Wings beat the Connecticut Sun 86-83 on Friday night.
NaLyssa Smith scored 12 points and Li Yueru added 11 points and nine rebounds, both season highs, for the Wings.
The game featured 12 lead changes and 10 ties, the last of which came when the Sun’s Aneesah Morrow scored in the lane to make it 62-62 with 1:18 left in the third quarter. James answered 26 seconds later with a floater that gave Dallas the lead for good.
Morrow made a driving layup that trimmed Connecticut’s deficit to 76-73 with three minutes to play, but Arike Ogunbowale hit a 3-pointer and then made two free throws before DiJonai Carrington made a layup with 45.8 seconds left that gave the Wings a 83-76 lead.
The Wings shot just 36% (11 of 31) in the second half but made 21 of 26 (81%) from the free-throw line, where Connecticut made 12 of 15.
The Sun (2-11) have lost five straight.
Dallas (3-11), which won its first home game of the season and snapped a seven-game skid Tuesday with an 80-71 victory over Golden State, won back-to-back games for the first time this season.
The Wings beat Connecticut 109-87 on May 27, the Wings’ first win of the season.
Up next
The Sun kick off a four-game road trip Sunday at Golden State. The Wings play Sunday at Washington.
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