Aneesah Morrow (24) of the Connecticut Sun shoots against Ariel Atkins (7) and Nneka Ogwumike (30) of the Los Angeles Sparks during the first half of a WNBA basketball game at PeoplesBank Arena on May 30, 2026 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images
Leila Lacan (47) of the Connecticut Sun is defended by Chance Gray (2) of the Los Angeles Sparks during the first half of a WNBA basketball game at PeoplesBank Arena on May 30, 2026 in Hartford, Connecticut.
Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images
HARTFORD — Gray clouds, gusty winds and rain attempted to sour the Connecticut Sun’s return to Hartford.
Fans took shelter in Pratt Street’s doorways and were seen bundled up in jackets and sweaters. Orange, black and white balloon arches tested the strength of their tie-down straps as they swayed every which way.
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It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that the Sun came out and beamed in downtown Hartford. Sure, actual blue sky pushed out the clouds, and the rain stopped outside, but inside PeoplesBank Arena, for the first time in 23 years, the forecast was sunny.
Thanks to the fresh energy of second-year point guard Leila Lacan, Connecticut defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 84-81 for its second win of the 2026 season and second-ever win in Hartford.
Aneesah Morrow led Connecticut (2-8) with her seventh double-double of the year with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Kennedy Burke (14 points), Diamond Miller (12 points) and Lacan (12 points) also finished in double digits. Saniya Rivers finished with nine points and a team-high four assists.
Brittney Griner also made her return to the court Saturday after missing the last four games with a rib injury. While Griner’s first bucket in the second quarter made her the 18th WNBA player to surpass 6,000 career points, the 10-time All-Star took a hit to the face in the final 10 seconds of the first half. She sat out the entire second half with an eye injury.
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Lacan, in her season debut after arriving late due to the French League playoffs, wasted no time returning to her sparkplug, do-it-all role as she scored the Sun’s first seven points, including going on a personal 5-0 run to set the tone early for Connecticut. Morrow joined in on the energy as the two combined for 13 of the Sun’s first 20 points.
Lacan pushed the Sun’s pace to a controllable and effective offensive groove. She was quick to read the Sparks’ defense and either find the right teammate to pass to or take the shot herself. Her energy on defense was contagious.
The Sun picked off Los Angeles four times within the first five-plus minutes and forced the visitors into 12 first-half turnovers.
Last year, the Sun won nine of its 11 total victories with Lacan on the floor. When she was forced to sit early in the first half Saturday due to foul trouble, it was clear.
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Lacan picked up three fouls within her first 10 minutes. Sun coach Rachid Meziane had no option but to bench her. And that’s when LA made its move. The Sparks went on a 12-2 run within a two-minute span to get ahold of the lead.
While its star player sat on the bench, the Sun’s defense clicked in slowly and held LA scoreless for over two minutes following its run. A bucket from Griner tied the game briefly before a 3-pointer from rookie Gianna Kneepkens about a minute later put the Sun on top entering intermission.
Despite a physical, back-and-forth third quarter which saw Meziane earn his first WNBA technical, the Sun locked in in the fourth quarter. Meziane put Lacan back in for the final eight mintues as the young French sensation kept the energy up.
The Sun led by as much nine thanks to eight second-half points from Miller and six from Rivers
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Fans inside PeoplesBank Arena stayed through the entire game. They started the wave and cheer loud for Lacan, Rivers and Griner. When Olivia Nelson-Ododa grabbed a huge defensive rebound to call game, they roared and stood tall.
Outside, before the game, during the Sun’s Fan Fest on Pratt Street, their passion was just as contagious.
Connecticut’s dance squad performed routine after routine in the middle of Pratt Street. Blaze, the team’s fiery orange mascot, pulled fans of all ages into the dances. A DJ blasted music from a tiny balcony above Urban Lodge. Fans decked out in all different shades of orange filled the pedestrian walkway.
Chalk drawings celebrating the Sun somehow survived the rain and covered one end of Pratt Street.
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Someone had written “Connecticut Sun 2003-2026” in orange chalk outside of Hartford Prints. Below it, in a yellow chalk, someone else had written “Don’t leave :(“
The Sun go back on the road next week to play Atlanta on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Boston) and at Chicago on Friday, June 5 (7:30 p.m. on ION). Connecticut returns to home to Mohegan Sun Arena on Monday, June 8, to host the New York Liberty (7 p.m. on NBC Sports Boston) and induct former Sun star Jonquel Jones as a Sun Legend.
Connecticut returns to Hartford on July 2 to host UConn women’s basketball stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd and the Dallas Wings.
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Welcome back Hailey Van Lith
The Sun announced prior to Saturday’s tip-off that it signed Hailey Van Lith to a developmental player contract. Van Lith was waived by Connecticut on Thursday due to roster size limitations after activating Lacan. The point guard, who was not in attendance in Hartford, started in three of the Sun’s first nine games.