UNCASVILLE, Conn. (Interstat) — Aneesah Morrow recorded her fourth consecutive double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Connecticut Sun to an 84-81 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Kennedy Burke added 14 points for the Sun, while Leila Lacan and Diamond Miller each scored 12. Lacan made her season debut for Connecticut, which improved to 2-8. Los Angeles fell to 4-4 despite a late rally.

Morrow, a 6-1 forward, leads the WNBA with seven double-doubles this season. She grabbed six defensive rebounds and three offensive boards, helping the Sun control the glass for key stretches.

Los Angeles opened the scoring on a short jumper by Rae Burrell off an assist from Nneka Ogwumike, but Connecticut answered quickly. Leila Lacan hit an 18-foot pullup, and the Sun built a two-point lead after the first quarter at 20-18.

The second quarter saw both teams trade runs. A burst by Los Angeles guard Ariel Atkins, who scored on a 26-foot jumper and later converted two free throws, pulled the Sparks within 39-36 at halftime.

Connecticut extended its lead in the third quarter. Morrow scored on a step-back jumper, and Miller drilled a 24-foot 3-pointer to push the Sun ahead 62-60 entering the final period.

The fourth quarter featured tight defense and clutch shooting. Burke opened the period with a 22-foot 3-pointer. Los Angeles kept within striking distance, led by Erica Wheeler’s driving layups and a 3-pointer from Rae Burrell.

With 12 seconds remaining, Connecticut’s Olivia Nelson-Ododa made two free throws to give the Sun an 82-79 lead. After a Los Angeles timeout, Sparks guard Ariel Atkins missed a 22-foot 3-pointer. Kennedy Burke grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Burke made one of two free throws with 6.9 seconds left, putting the Sun up 83-79.

Los Angeles called another timeout. On the ensuing possession, Nneka Ogwumike attempted a 25-foot 3-pointer that was blocked by Nelson-Ododa. Dearica Hamby secured the offensive rebound and scored a 2-foot floating jumper with 2.2 seconds left, cutting the deficit to 84-81. The Sun then prevented any further scoring as time expired.

Ariel Atkins led Los Angeles with 17 points, including four free throws in the final two minutes. Nneka Ogwumike added 15 points and eight rebounds. Rae Burrell contributed 12 points and four assists. Erica Wheeler finished with 10 points and five assists.

Connecticut’s bench provided a significant lift. Lacan scored eight of her 12 points in the first half. Miller, who started, scored seven points in the fourth quarter, including a driving layup and a free throw with 6:13 left that gave the Sun a 76-73 lead.

Morrow’s double-double was the centerpiece of Connecticut’s frontcourt effort. She also had two steals and a block, repeatedly disrupting Los Angeles’ pick-and-roll offense. The Sun forced 17 turnovers, converting them into 19 points.

Los Angeles shot 43 percent from the field, while Connecticut shot 41 percent. Each team connected on eight 3-pointers in the game, a testament to the evenly matched contest before a crowd of 10,478.

The Sparks entered the game on a three-game winning streak, including a 92-87 victory at Washington the previous night. Connecticut snapped a five-game skid, its first win since May 20 when it beat Seattle 80-78.

Los Angeles next hosts Las Vegas on Tuesday, June 2. Connecticut travels to Atlanta on the same evening.

In what was expected to be a high-scoring affair, the game instead became a defensive grind. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Los Angeles 109, Connecticut 95, and the ELO system gave Los Angeles a 60.20 percent probability to win. The Sparks were installed as a 6.5-point favorite, but the Sun’s gritty performance sent the total of 81 points over the over-under line of 167.5.