By: Jennifer Portee
5/21/2026
It wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t pretty, but for the Connecticut Sun, it was a win.
After a tough start to the season, the Sun found their moment Wednesday night, and it came down to poise in the final seconds. Kennedy Burke stepped to the line with everything on the line and shot a three with just 2.8 seconds left, lifting Connecticut to an 80-78 win over the Seattle Storm.
Burke finished with 15 points, but her biggest contribution came when it mattered most. Charlisse Leger-Walker added a career-high 16, continuing to show growth and confidence as her role expands. And when Connecticut needed an energy shift, it came from unexpected places.
Connecticut’s starters struggled to find its rhythm early, combining for just four points on limited shooting. Aneesah Morrow, who had been a consistent double-double presence, exited in the first half and didn’t return, forcing the Sun to adjust on the fly.
And adjust they did.
A younger, less proven group stepped in and changed the feel of the game. Raegan Beers, Nell Angloma, and Leger-Walker helped bring life into the second half, playing with urgency and freedom. Angloma matched Burke with 15 points in a breakout performance, while Beers added a career-best 10.
By the fourth quarter, Connecticut wasn’t just hanging around they were competing.
Seattle briefly grabbed control late after Jade Melbourne’s reverse layup gave the Storm a one-point lead with under a minute to play. But the Sun stayed composed, setting up the final possession that ended in Burke’s decisive play.
The Storm had one last chance, but Natisha Hiedeman’s clean look from beyond the arc at the buzzer didn’t fall, sealing Connecticut’s long-awaited first win.
After the way this season started, this win felt like more than just a number it felt like a breath, a reset, and a sign that things might finally be turning. Now sitting at 1-5, the Sun head into Friday’s rematch with Seattle carrying a little more belief and a little less pressure.