Connecticut Sun and Atlanta Dream win – WNBA Roundup September 11: Part 1
Five games took place in Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Here is a brief review of the games:
Connecticut Sun 69 - New York Liberty 63
At Mohegan Sun Arena, Tina Charles recorded WNBA best 23rd double-double of the season as Connecticut Sun clinched the first position in the Eastern Conference with a 69-63 win over New York Liberty.
Charles ended the game with 18 points, shooting 9 for 17 from the field, and 11 rebounds in the victory. Asjha Jones had 17 points and 11 rebounds while Renee Montgomery added 10 points and four assists for the Sun, who will take on the conference-defending champion Atlanta Dream in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
Nicole Powell led the Liberty with 14 points and seven rebounds while Cappie Pondexter ended the game with 12 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kara Braxton came off the bench with 10 points for New York.
Liberty shot 35.7 percent (25 for 70) from the field limited Connecticut to 35.3 percent (24 for 68).
Connecticut held a 15-10 lead after first quarter but New York played a tight defence after that and converted it into a 33-26 lead at halftime. Connecticut outscored Liberty 21-16 in the third quarter and trimmed their deficit to two, 49-47. They limited the visiting team to 14 points in the fourth quarter and sealed the regular season with a 19-15 record.
Atlanta Dream 93 - Indiana Fever 88
Angel McCoughtry racked up a game-high 32 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked three shots as Atlanta Dream clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 93-88 victory over Indiana Fever at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Alison Bales came off the bench with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Lindsey Harding had 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in the fourth consecutive victory for the Dream.
Katie Douglas led Indiana with 30 points, hitting 5 for 8 from downtown. Jessica Davenport contributed 15 points and nine rebounds while Tangela Smith had 14 points and four rebounds for Indiana. Shavonte Zellous totalled 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks in the second straight loss for the Fever.
Indiana shot 51.5 percent (34 for 66) while the visiting team shot only 43.4 percent (33 for 76). Atlanta grabbed 44 rebounds and Indiana pulled down only 30.
Atlanta held a 29-24 lead at the end of the opening period on the back of McCoughtry’s 12-point effort. The Fever outplayed Dream 31-18 in the second quarter and went ahead by 55-47 at halftime. Dream scored 24 of their points in the third quarter and tied the game at 71. Atlanta held an 84-75 advantage with 04:31 to go in the fourth quarter and maintained their lead for rest of the period.
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