The Connecticut Sun missed 17 of their first 22 shots against the Dallas Wings on Wednesday night.

They trailed by as much as 12 points early in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter, where grit and experience are necessary, belonged to the Sun.

Bria Holmes' 3-pointer gave Connecticut its first lead with 7 minutes, 51 seconds left and the Sun hung on to beat the Wings, 70-66, to sweep the two-game season series at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

"That's a big step in the right direction," Sun forward DeWanna Bonner said about winning despite their struggles. "Maybe five or six games ago, we wouldn't have this result.

"Tonight we showed a lot of fight, a lot of heart."

It's the first time that Connecticut (3-6) has won consecutive games.

"I thought we got out-toughed in the first half," Sun head coach Curt Miller said. "Took it on the chin and responded. And I thought we showed a real toughness in the second half. We've got veteran leadership. DeWanna and AT's (Alyssa Thomas') physicality. DeWanna's emotion. Jasmine (Thomas') leadership. And then Briann January didn't score, but there was a veteran presence about us, a toughness in the second half."

Connecticut trailed, 37-25, just 31 seconds into the third quarter.

The Wings outshot them for the game, 42.4 to 37.5-percent.

Miller said, "You're going to have nights like that all year in this bubble on such short turnarounds (between games), meaning that it's not going to be pretty, but don't lose because you get out-toughed."

Bonner had 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals for Connecticut and Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Jasmine Thomas added 10 points.

January, a veteran guard acquired via trade during the offseason, played her first game for the Sun after missing time due to COVID-19.

Arike Ogunbowale scored 19 and Allisha Gray had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Wings (3-6).

The Sun had shot 51.9 percent and averaged 92.3 points over their previous three games, starting with a 91-68 win over Dallas last Thursday.

Bonner's 3-pointer in front of the Wings' bench tied the game at 49 with 9:23 remaining. It was the first time Connecticut wasn't trailing since there was 5:14 left in the first quarter.

The tie was short lived. Gray got an offensive rebound on Dallas next possession and turned it into a three-point play.

Holmes made a 3-pointer of her own by Dallas' bench to give Connecticut its first lead, 53-52, with 7:51 remaining in the game.

The Sun took their largest lead, 60-54, after Bonner turned a driving, leaning jumper into a three-point play, followed by Jasmine Thomas' layup, with 5:51 left.

Tyasha Harris' 3-pointer cut Connecticut's lead to a point with 2:28 remaining.

Jasmine Thomas made a 3-pointer on the other end to push the Sun ahead, 66-62, with 2:06 left.

Dallas had a chance to cut it to two with over a minute left as Harris drove the lane in transition, but was rookie Kaila Charles somehow managed to block her shot. Charles' grabbed a defensive rebound moments later.

Two free throws and a step-back jumper by Ogunbowale cut the Wings' lead to 68-66 with :31.1 remaining.

Bonner iced the game with a driving layup with 10.8 seconds left for the game's final points.

n.griffen@theday.com