Dream @ Sun preview: We've come to the end of the road

 End of the line.

It comes with mixed emotions, this was an extremely trying season at times, especially when you’re used to long playoff runs every season. We were told what was coming, we saw the entire 2024 team depart for greener practice facilities and pastures, but until the team took the floor, it was hard to picture what losing so many games would look like.

But it could have been worse, much worse, and looked like it was going to be one of the worst seasons in WNBA history when the Sun were 2-16 in mid-July and you could argue that both victories up to that point were a fluke.

The Sun will get at least one more season at
Mohegan Sun Arena, it appears

However, then Leila Lacan’s arrival breathed some life into the operation, and fellow rookies Saniya Rivers and Aneesah Morrow also stepped up their games, first making the team watchable and then winning, like more than once. There was a moment there where the Sun was among the hottest teams in the WNBA, and that looked so unlikely a month before that those memories will sustain us through the cold winter and spring until the team returns.

Albeit without Lacan, there is one more chance to see this version of the Sun Wednesday night. The crowds at Mohegan Sun Arena have been great all season and deserve one more strong effort for their loyalty this season. Will they get it? The oddsmakers are very skeptical, making the Sun a massive home underdog, and they are playing one of the best teams in the Atlanta Dream.

No matter what happens, hopefully the Sun get a nice ovation from the home crowd at the final buzzer, and I’m sure they will. It will not go down as the greatest season, or even a good season, but it could have been much worse. And sometimes that’s worth celebrating.

What else will we see to wrap up 2025?:

 

ATLANTA DREAM @ SUN

Time: Wednesday, 7 p.m. EDT

Place: Mohegan Sun Arena; Uncasville, Conn.

Records: Atlanta 29-14; Connecticut 11-32

TV: WNBA League Pass; NBC Sports Boston

Line: Atlanta -13.5

Absences: Atlanta - Taylor Thierry (questionable, ankle).

Connecticut - Leila Lacan (out, personal reasons); Bria Hartley (out, season ending knee); Olivia Nelson-Ododa (questionable, back).

 

History between them: The two teams split the season series 2-2 in 2024, Atlanta leads this season 3-1, and obviously won handily Monday, but there was a somewhat improbable 84-76 Sun win at Mohegan Sun Arena on June 6, the Dream’s only loss in an 8-1 stretch. The Sun have won eight of the last 13. The Sun and Dream have met only once in a playoff series, the 2011 Eastern Conference semifinals, which Atlanta swept 2-0. Tina Charles was in her second season in the WNBA and had 17 rebounds in a Game 2 loss.

What to look for: The Dream allowed 43 points in the first half on Monday night, and looked a bit sluggish, then the Sun scored on the first possession of the third quarter, only to get 17 points the rest of the way as Atlanta showed why they might be the best defensive team in the WNBA at the moment. I’m not sure how the Sun will combat that on Wednesday, Tina Charles will probably be a full go in the final game of the season, so she might be able to produce some points, while Saniya Rivers had her moments Monday. It would be nice to see Marina Mabrey finish the season with a flurry, but it would probably be fitting if she doesn’t.

At the other end, the Sun actually caught the Dream on a relatively cold night (just 8-for-26 from behind the arc), but couldn’t take advantage because Atlanta scored 26 field goals in the paint, a problem Connecticut has never solved this season. The Sun also got only three steals and forced just nine turnovers, and those numbers are just not going to get it done against anyone in the WNBA, let alone Atlanta.

Key players:  Atlanta: Naz Hillmon - Hillmon finished a +32 on Monday and filled the stat sheet with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Her introduction into the starting lineup has seemed to make the Dream even more effective and dangerous. Hillmon hit no three-pointers in college or in her first two WNBA seasons, but has 52 and counting this season, giving hope to the Sun’s young shooters that they can improve, too.

Connecticut: Saniya Rivers - Speaking of improving, Rivers has shot better than 40% from behind the arc in the second half of the season, and if the Sun can get Rivers, Morrow, and Lacan more consistent from the outside, it will be a huge boost to them. Rivers is averaging 8.7 points per game entering the season finale, which isn’t earth shattering, but definitely solid and has steadily been moving up.

Advanced stat:  30.9% - Turnover rate for Lindsay Allen, which is definitely sky high. As I’ve said before, she’s been a good soldier, but it’s hard to see her grabbing a roster spot when 2026 comes around.

Tactical spotlight: We’ll see what Rachid Meziane draws up for the season finale, Rivers and Morrow were able to get looks in the first half before being shut down (and missing shots in the second). Atlanta’s length is a big problem, especially without Lacan, which is why Rivers was handling the ball so much. Rivers probably won’t pile up huge assist numbers, but she might be able to create shots for herself, at least.

Defensively, it looks pretty terrible when the Sun go under screens and Rhyne Howard buries a three-pointer in their face, but if they go over and Brionna Jones gets a layup, is that worse? That’s where missing Lacan hurts so much, and the Dream - as other teams have - just picked on Mabrey wherever she was on the court as well, so the Sun are probably going to need Atlanta to shoot cold again, but stranger things have happened.

Inside the numbers: 43 - Number of games Tina Charles will have played if she suits up Wednesday (and she should), a team high and career high (with an asterisk, obviously). Not sure what 2026 will hold for Charles, but she certainly gave it her all this season.

Prediction: 82-80 Atlanta