Kennedy Burke delivered the decisive play with 2.8 seconds left, and the Connecticut Sun edged the Seattle Storm 80-78 on Wednesday night in Seattle. The result gave Connecticut its first win of the season after a difficult opening stretch, while Seattle dropped its third straight game.
Charlisse Leger-Walker added a career-high 16 points for Connecticut, and Burke finished with 15. The Sun improved to 1-5 after a game that stayed tight into the final possession and ended with Natisha Hiedeman missing a straightaway 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
Late possession decided the result
Seattle briefly took control late when Jade Melbourne scored on a reverse layup, her first field goal of the game, to put the Storm ahead 76-75 with 59 seconds remaining. That lead did not hold, as Connecticut answered in the closing moments and Burke converted the go-ahead three-point play that became the difference.
The Storm had one final chance to force a different outcome, but Hiedeman’s clean look from the top of the arc did not fall. The miss sealed a defeat that left Seattle at 1-4 and searching for a way to stop its skid.
Connecticut got key production from its reserves
Connecticut received major scoring help from players outside its opening lineup, with rookie No. 12 overall pick Charlisse Leger-Walker setting a new career high and several others contributing important minutes. Nell Angloma also posted a career-best 15 points, Aaliyah Edwards scored 12, and Raegan Beers added 10 in another notable performance from an undrafted rookie.
The Sun’s starting group struggled early, with Aneesah Morrow, Gianna Kneepkens and Hailey Van Lith combining for just four points on 1-of-7 shooting. Morrow left with 6:40 remaining in the first half and did not return, finishing with two points and three rebounds in seven minutes before the Sun adjusted their rotation.
Seattle’s scoring came from Hiedeman and Holmes
Hiedeman led the Storm with 20 points, and Mackenzie Holmes followed with a career-high 18. Those efforts kept Seattle within striking distance throughout the second half, even with Dominique Malonga out for a second straight game under concussion protocol.
The rematch arrives quickly, with both teams scheduled to meet again Friday in Seattle.
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