Sun victorious in season opener

Mohegan - Rookie Danielle McCray got way out in front of the Connecticut Sun's fast break early in the fourth quarter of Saturday's season-opener and planted herself in the corner near the Washington bench.

As Tan White pushed the ball up court, McCray looked her way and clapped her hands, the international basketball sign for, "give me the ball."

Reminded of the play, McCray laughed and said, "Did I get the ball?"

McCray did. And she also made a 3-pointer, too. It was her fourth and final 3-pointer of the night as Connecticut rolled to an 89-73 win over the Mystics before 6,666 at Mohegan Sun Arena.

McCray played 15 minutes off the bench and shot 5-of-5 from the floor for 14 points.

Center Tina Charles (18 points, six rebounds) was about the only certainty coming into this season for Connecticut.

No one, not even those in the organization, knew what to expect from the Sun after they finished 17-17 last season and missing the playoffs for a second-straight year.

McCray was among those great unknowns. She was a star wing player at Kansas and a potential top five pick in the 2010 draft when she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in a February practice. She finished her career as the program's fourth all-time leading scorer (1,934 points).

McCray couldn't play the 2010 WNBA season, but it didn't deter Connecticut. It traded former first-round picks Chante Black and Amber Holt to the Tulsa Shock the day before last year's draft for the seventh overall pick.

Connecticut made that deal with McCray in mind.

This preseason, McCray was wound far too tight. She played a total of 30 minutes in three games and shot 2-of-10 for 10 points

"Rope-a-dope," Sun coach Mike Thibault quipped about McCray's struggles.

McCray admitted she had the jitters during the preseason.

"I wasn't playing myself, being myself," she said. " 'Oh my gosh, (I've got to) get those plays down', things like that."

The Sun trailed 20-14 with four minutes left in the first quarter as they struggled to contain center Nicky Anosike (16 points, seven rebounds) and power forward Crystal Langhorne (16 points, five rebounds).

DeMya Walker scored all eight of her points during a 15-4 run to push Connecticut ahead to end that quarter.

McCray had one of the final points during that run - a 3-pointer.

"I was very relieved," McCray said. "It just brought a lot of confidence. My first shot was a very tough shot. It was like, 'oh, my gosh, if this one doesn't go in.'

"The first shot you take of your WNBA career and you make it, it just made everything go from there."

White said, "As a shooter, whenever you come out and you make one basket and it's your first shot - (and) it's her first professional game - it seemed like the basket just got so big for her. From that point on, she probably wasn't doing a lot of thinking. She got out in transition and got a lot of wide-open looks and was knocking them down."

Charles and McCray were among five Sun players to score in double figures. Asjha Jones had 14 points and seven rebounds, Renee Montgomery had 15 points and three assists and Kara Lawson added 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Washington dressed just eight players. Starter Monique Currie tore a ligament in her left knee during the winter.

Fellow starter Alana Beard said she injured her ankle Tuesday and would be out for 7-to-14 days.

n.griffen@theday.com