UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) -Asjha Jones scored eight of her team-high 30 points in overtime Friday to lead the Connecticut Sun to a 109-101 win over the winless Atlanta Dream.
Tamika Whitmore scored 28 points, including six in OT for Connecticut, which narrowly avoided becoming the first team to lose to the expansion Dream.
Betty Lennox scored a career-high 44 points, adding nine rebounds and seven assists for Atlanta (0-14), which broke the WNBA record for most losses to begin a season. The 44 points tied Cynthia Cooper for third place on the league's single-game scoring list.
``That's as good of a performance as I've seen start to finish,'' Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said of Lennox. ``She reminded me of Allen Iverson.''
Whitmore snapped a 96-96 tie with 1:32 left in overtime by making one of two free throws. She missed the second shot, but Jones grabbed one of her 10 rebounds and converted a three-point play to give the Sun a 100-96 lead. Connecticut never trailed again.
Lindsay Whalen had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Connecticut (12-4), which leads the Eastern Conference by a half-game.
The Dream led twice late, 81-80 on Tamera Young's 3-pointer and later 84-82 after Kristen Mann hit from behind the arc. Young made another 3-point shot with 12.9 seconds left in regulation to tie it for the Dream at 89.
Connecticut's Jamie Carey missed a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left that would have won it for the Sun in regulation.
Atlanta shot 10-of-22 from 3-point range in the second half and overtime. Ivory Latta had 15 points, Mann had 11 and Stacey Lovelace 10 for the Dream.
Atlanta trailed by as many as 11 in the first half before a late run closed the deficit to three at 38-35 by halftime. The Sun were up 30-19 midway through the second period when Lennox, who scored 18 of her points in the first half, made a 3-pointer to cut make it 30-27.
``The last few games I've been slacking,'' Lennox said. ``Teams have been throwing double- and triple-teams at me. But tonight, I took it upon myself to be more aggressive.''
Latta made a late 3-pointer to get the Dream within two at 37-35. Whalen made a late free throw to give Connecticut the 38-35 halftime lead.
