Whalen scores 20 points as Sun rally from 17 points down to beat Liberty 74-69

Whalen rallies Sun past Liberty

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Lindsay Whalen scored seven of her 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Connecticut Sun rallied to a 74-69 victory against the New York Liberty on Wednesday night.

Amber Holt had 12 points and Whalen also had 10 rebounds for the Sun (13-11), who came back from 17 points down in the first half and moved into a tie with Atlanta for second place in the Eastern Conference.

Cathrine Kraayeveld scored 13 points and Janel McCarville had 10 for New York (9-16).

Sandrine Gruda made a 15-foot baseline jumper with 5:12 remaining, giving Connecticut a 65-63 lead, their first lead since the first period. The Sun never trailed again.

Kraayeveld missed a 3-pointer with 9 seconds left that would have tied the game.

Whalen made two free throws with 7.5 seconds left to ice it.

The Sun played without leading scorer Asjha Jones, who is out for two weeks with a sore Achilles’ tendon.

New York missed seven of its first eight shots before making 15 of its next 23 to take a 35-18 lead. New York shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and made 4-of-9 3-pointers.

Connecticut shot 15 percent from the field in the second quarter (2 for 13) and 25 percent from the field in the first half (7 for 28). The Sun trailed 38-26 at halftime.