Sun Stop Sparks in Exhibition Opener

Rachel Banham popped in the game-winning three as time expired to lead
the Sun to a 68-65 win over Los Angeles in the preseason opener for both
teams at the Mohegan Sun Arena. (Photo courtesy Connecticut Sun)

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—Rachel Banham hit a catch-and-shoot buzzer-beater from beyond the arc with two-tenths of a second left regulation, and the Connecticut Sun emerged with a 68-65 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks Monday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena. It was the preseason opener for both teams.

Returning to the court for the first time since the last game of 2016, veteran Chiney Ogwumike had a solid game. The former No. 1 overall pick from Stamford popped in 10 points and grabbed eight boards—seven rebounds in the first half—in just under 15 minutes of play.

The Sim led by as much as 12, building a 57-45 lead with 9:30 left in regulation, but the Sparks went on a late 15-3 run to knot the game at 60-60 with 3:54 remaining in regulation.

Two players battling to make the team—Jess January and Betnijah Laney—made big plays late. January hit a key three pointer to make it 63-60 with just over three minutes left, and Laney hit two free throws late to tie the game at 65. And that set the stage for Banham’s heroics.

“I thought it was going in,” Banham said of the shot, which came off a play drawn up out of a timeout with .5 seconds left. “It felt good coming off my hand.”

Following a strong offseason in Australia, Banham has looked sharp throughout her third WNBA training camp.

“She looks like the Rachel we drafted,” Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller said of Banham, who was drafted as the eighth leading scorer in NCAA history in 2016. The Sun took the former Minnesota star elected with the No. 4 overall pick. “She has had a great camp,” continued Miller. “We all are really confident when Rachel has the ball in her hands. She’s not getting sped up like she has in the past. She’s playing with a level of confidence we haven’t seen since she joined the team.”

“We had a lot of people out there playing their first game and I was happy with how we competed,” Los Angeles coach Brian Agler said. “We can get better in just about every area, but every team can say that right now.”

The next preseason test for the Sun will be this evening when they host the Dallas Wings at 7 p.m. Great tickets are available by clicking HERE. For a complete schedule and ticket information, click HERE.

—With Staff Reports