The Connecticut Sun continue to struggle their way out of a potential WNBA playoff spot while the Dallas Wings are playing much stronger, especially at home.
Thankfully for the Wings (14-10) they host the Sun (12-12) on Sunday afternoon at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. Dallas is 9-3 at home, sharing the league lead with fewest losses at home (Atlanta is 8-3).
Connecticut, once the best team in the WNBA with a 7-1 start, is coming off a 78-65 home loss Friday to league-leader Seattle. The Sun turned the ball over 22 times.
All-Star Chiney Ogwumike led the Sun with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
The Sun have faced plenty of adversity with a number of injuries, player absences and having to play 13 of their first 19 games on the road.
"It starts to feel like it's one thing after another," Sun guard Jasmine Thomas said. "It can start to weigh on you. It takes a toll. That's the battle. The battle is fighting that bad energy and still stay positive and stay together as a team."
Although strong at home, Dallas continues to struggle on the road and Friday was no different with the Wings being humbled in a 114-99 loss to the Chicago Sky, who are the third-worst team in the WNBA with an 8-16 record. Dallas won seven of its previous eight games before the setback, which included allowing Chicago guard Courtney Vandersloot a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists).
Dallas center Liz Cambage's consecutive games with 35-plus points came to an end after being double-teamed for much of the game. She finished with 23 points for her 13th 20-point game of the season.
Skylar Diggins-Smith added 21 points and Azura Stevens had 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds.
Dallas coach Fred Williams was ejected for the second time in the last three games arguing a foul call.
"We've had our ups and downs, but I am still feeling confident," Williams said. "At the end of the day, all we want to do is win, no matter what it takes."
The matchup will be the first between Connecticut and Dallas this season, which means Sun standout post player Ogwumike (15.1 points and 7.7 rebounds a game) will face Cambage for the first time.
The teams play again Aug. 8 in Arlington and Aug. 14 in Uncasville, Conn.
Cambage, who scored a WNBA record 88 points in back-to-back games during the week, averages 22 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. Diggins-Smith is averaging 18.5 points and 6.5 assists a game.
