Connecicut’s Tina Charles played more than 34 minutes Tuesday night, much more than any other player, and made the most of it.
Charles had a double-double and led her Sun to an 88-69 home victory over the Tulsa Shock in the building that will house the WNBA All-Star Game later this month.
One of four Connecticut players in double figure scoring on the night, Charles had 17 points and 13 rebounds.
The Sun snapped a four-game losing streak, but gave the Shock (3-11) their fourth straight loss.
Tulsa’s Riquna Williams led all scorers with 23 points, coming in as a sixth man. Williams said that she knows it is her responsibility to bring an intensity to the game when she comes in.
“That’s my job,” Williams said. “My job is to come off the bench and bring energy for this team. That’s just my job. I know what I am capable of.
“I know after the first couple of plays that I’m out there what a team is going to do to me defensively. They played me straight up and I took advantage of it.”
Tulsa coach Gary Kloppenburg credited Connecticut on the team effort and execution.
“I thought they just played very well,” Kloppenburg said. “They shot the ball as well as they have shot it all year. Anytime you give up 51 percent shooting and 57 percent from 3-point range, you’re probably going to be in trouble.
“And then we shot just 33 percent. It’s not difficult to see why we were on the losing end of this one.
“I thought they played like a desperate team that wanted to get a win. They came out and executed and knocked down their shots.”
Tulsa concluded its four-game road trip without a win. The Shock play next on July 11, hosting the Los Angeles Sparks. The game will be televised by ESPN2 and is scheduled to tip at 8 pm.