Final
7:00 PM ET, June 15, 2012
Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
The Connecticut Sun and New York Liberty each had win streaks snapped in their most recent games. Judging by the teams' two previous matchups this season, the Sun might have a better chance of avoiding another loss.
With help from Tina Charles, Connecticut will try to record its third win over New York in less than a month Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.Connecticut (6-2) missed out on a season-high fourth consecutive victory Wednesday when it failed to score in the final 1:26 of an 87-81 loss to visiting Los Angeles. After shooting 61.7 percent in a win over Atlanta on Sunday, the Sun connected on only 28 of 84 attempts (33.3 percent) in the loss to the Sparks."We just didn't shoot the ball. Nobody had a great shooting night for us," coach Mike Thibault said. "We just seemed to rush things in the second half. We couldn't catch it. We fumbled it a little bit, I don't know if the length bothered us, but we were just in a hurry."New York, meanwhile, also was denied a fourth straight win with Sunday's 73-64 home loss to Chicago."I was nervous about this game because it was our fifth game in eight days," coach John Whisenant said. "I obviously had a reason. ... We were just a step slower, like we were running stuck in mud."The Liberty (3-6) should be more rested for their matchup with the Sun, but they might not come away with a different result.New York is 1-6 over its last seven visits to Mohegan Sun and lost the last three. The Liberty have also dropped five of six overall in the series.Charles had 25 points -- on 11-of-15 shooting -- and 11 rebounds during a 92-77 win at Mohegan Sun on May 20, which completed a home-and-home sweep. She also led the way with 19 points and 13 boards during a 78-73 victory at Madison Square Garden the previous day."They are a great team," New York guard Cappie Pondexter said following the loss in Connecticut. "They've got two Olympians (Charles and Asjha Jones), and it's tough to beat a team that has been together for a while. I think they are the favorite to win the East."Charles is seeking a fourth consecutive double-double in this game and her six this season are tied for second in the league. Pondexter, meanwhile, is averaging 24.5 points over the past four contests.She averaged 16.6 points on 36.3 percent shooting during a franchise-worst 0-5 start to this season, but recorded team bests of 19 and 18 points, respectively, in the games against Connecticut.SPONSORED HEADLINES
Gameday Matchup
| New York | Connecticut | |
|---|---|---|
| W-L | 3-7 | 7-2 |
| Avg Points | 71.5 | 86.4 |
| Avg Points Allowed | 82.7 | 77.3 |
| Home Record | 2-3 | 5-2 |
| Road Record | 1-4 | 2-0 |
| Current Streak | L2 | W1 |
| Last 10 | 6-4 | 7-3 |
| Team Stats: New York | Connecticut | ||
2012 Regular Season Series
Last 5 Games
Starting Lineup
| New York | Connecticut |
|---|---|
| G C. Pondexter | G K. Lawson |
| C K. Vaughn | G A. Hightower |
| F D. Walker | F A. Jones |
| F E. Carson | G K. Greene |
| G L. Mitchell | C T. Charles |
| Team rosters: New York | Connecticut | |
