Tina Charles scores 22 as Dream beat Sun 82-70 for 2nd straight win

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Tina Charles scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, Jordin Canada scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half and Atlanta beat the Connecticut Sun 82-70 on Sunday for the Dream’s second consecutive win following a monthlong break for the Paris Olympics.

Atlanta (9-17) had lost eight consecutive games, and 15 of 18, prior to the break. The Dream won back-to-back games — against two of the top four teams in the WNBA standings — for just the second time this season. Atlanta beat the Seattle Storm on Friday.

Rhyne Howard scored 13 points, and Allisha Gray added 11 for the Dream. The duo, who are Atlanta’s top-two scorers this season and average a combined 31.9 points per game this season, made just 5 of 21 (24%) from the field.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa hit a short jumper that gave Connecticut (19-7) a 68-63 lead with 4:51 to play. Gray quickly answered with a three-point play, Canada followed with a driving layup, and Charles added a jumper that gave Atlanta the lead for good with less than three minutes remaining. Alyssa Thomas made a layup that cut the Sun’s deficit to a point about a minute later but the Dream closed the game on an 11-0 run.

Connecticut made just 1 of 7 from the field after Nelson-Ododa’s jumper midway through the fourth quarter.

Thomas finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Sun. Brionna Jones scored 12 points with eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Tyasha Harris also scored 12, Marina Mabrey added 11, and DeWanna Bonner grabbed 10 rebounds to go with nine points.