Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd look to make their return to Connecticut a triumphant one and help the Dallas Wings snap a two-game losing streak when they square off against the suddenly hot Sun on Thursday in Hartford, Conn.

Bueckers and Fudd both played for UConn before being taken first in the WNBA drafts in 2025 and 2026, respectively.

The Wings travel north for the first of a four-game road trip and on the heels of an 85-77 home loss to league-leading Minnesota on Sunday. Dallas (11-8) got a game-high 25 points from Bueckers while Fudd added 21 points, Maddy Siegrist hit for 12 and Jessica Shepard grabbed 16 rebounds.

The Wings trailed by as many as 23 midway through the third quarter before rallying to within four with 5:15 to play.

“We’ve had a lot of close games, a lot of games where we haven’t started great scoring-wise, and that kind of plays over into our defense,” Fudd said. “Then we kind of hit that second gear, but we need to start the game with that gear unlocked already.”

Meanwhile, Connecticut (4-15) has won consecutive games for the first time all year, with the latest victory a 68-57 home decision over Washington on Friday. Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Leila Lacan led the Sun with 12 points each, while Kennedy Burke added 11 and Brittney Griner and Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 10 apiece.

“It’s testament to us staying focused and committed,” Nelson-Ododa said of Friday’s victory and the team’s winning streak. “We’ve had so many games when it’s been a close call and we’ve had trouble finishing. We have been able to find our groove and finish out games in our style by keeping our composure.”

Thursday’s clash is the final Sun game to be played in Hartford. As part of the organization’s Sun Legends campaign, the franchise will fete former player Jasmine Thomas (now VP of basketball operations and assistant general manager for the Wings) and former coach (and current executive vice president and Dallas general manager) Curt Miller to celebrate their contributions to the team.

It’s the first of the teams’ three meetings this season, with the ensuing contests on Aug. 2 and Aug. 30, both in Dallas. The Wings have won three of the past four games played in Connecticut.

–Field Level Media

No. 7 seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia extended his domination of Stefano Tsitsipas on Wednesday, routing the unseeded Greek 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the third round of Wimbledon for the 20th time in 21 appearances at the All England Club.

Djokovic, the former World No. 1 currently ranked No. 8, improved to 13-2 against Tsitsipas — whom he beat in the 2021 French Open final — by outplaying his opponent in every facet. The Serbian legend notched 33 winners, committed only seven unforced errors and did not have his serve broken. Meanwhile, Tsitsipas endured 24 unforced errors and had his serve broken four times.

During a key sequence in the second set, Djokovic managed to block a pair of smashes by Tsitsipas and went to break serve for a 5-4 lead en route to winning the set on the next point. After breaking Tsitsipas’ serve to go up 5-2 in the final set, Djokovic produced three winners in the final game to wrap up the easy victory in one hour, 38 minutes.

“You feel very happy, satisfied and joyful on the court when you are playing this way,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview. “Once you get the momentum going. … That game when I went 5-2 up was one of the best return games I’ve played in a while. I just went for my shots. I was a bit more relaxed, a little less tension in my head.”

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy also won in straight sets, though he had to put in extra effort during a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory over unseeded Nuno Borges of Portugal.

In a two-hour, 32-minute triumph, Sinner eclipsed Nicola Pietrangeli for the most main-draw match victories at Grand Slams among Italian players with 95.

Aiming to become the 10th man in the Open Era to win back-to-back titles at Wimbledon, Sinner notched 47 winners against 29 unforced errors and broke his opponent twice early in the final set. The Italian star also posted 22 aces to just six for Borges, No. 48 in the world rankings.

No. 3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada cruised to victory on Canada Day, disposing of unseeded Dino Prizmic of Croatia 7-6 (2), 6-3, 7-5, to earn his second straight-sets victory in as many matches.

Auger-Aliassime amassed 15 aces to just three for his opponent while winning 86% of points on his first serve. The Montreal native converted two of four break points and did not give up a break.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No. 8 seed, dropped the first set but quickly rebounded to take down unseeded Daniel Merida Aguilar of Spain 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-2. Medvedev converted five of six break points and totaled 38 winners against Merida Aguilar, who made his Wimbledon debut this week.

In a first-round match that was halted after the third set Tuesday night due to darkness, No. 9 seed Flavio Coballi of Italy eliminated Argentina’s Mariano Navone 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (8). In addition to losing the first set, Coballi trailed 4-2 in the second set before rallying.

No. 16 seed Learner Tien was one of two seeded players to fall as unseeded Marton Fucsovics of Hungary pulled off a hard fought 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory. Fucsovics saved an impressive 14 of 18 break points, posting 41 winners against his American opponent.

Tien’s countryman, No. 21 seed Tommy Paul, advanced to the third round with a straight-sets victory against South Korean qualifier Kwon Soon-woo 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2. Paul collected 43 winners while converting four of eight break point chances and posting 19 aces to six for Soon-woo, who had just 19 winners and five double faults.

Four other seeded players moved on, including No. 22 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-3 rout of unseeded Italian Fabian Marozsan. Joao Fonseca of Brazil, the No. 24 seed, took down unseeded Netherlands native Jesper de Jong 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, while No. 25 seed Arthur Rinderknech of France defeated unseeded American Martin Damm 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-3.

Unseeded American Jenson Brooksby upset No. 31 seed Ignacio Buse of Peru in impressive fashion, prevailing 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. The 81st-ranked Brooksby will face Sinner next after converting seven of 11 break point chances while Buse converted just one of four.

–Field Level Media

SEATTLE — Belgium will extend their stay in the Pacific Northwest following the latest dramatic ending in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.

Trailing by multiple goals to Senegal with five minutes remaining in regulation at Seattle Stadium on Wednesday, the Red Devils furiously rallied to tie the game. Later in extra time, just moments from the game going to decisive penalty kicks, Belgium captain Youri Tielemans drilled home the game-winning goal on a PK awarded following a VAR review.

Belgium still needed to survive a final free kick from just outside their penalty box on the final play of the game, but in the end they advanced to the round of 16 with a 3-2 win.

It sets up a potential showdown against the United States back in Seattle on Monday. The USMNT play their round of 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina in San Francisco on Wednesday night.

“Now we must recuperate, recuperate, recuperate, because it is hard on the legs,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said. “In extra time it’s like two boxers, we kept fighting and fighting.”

Whoever the next opponent ultimately is, it will come in familiar surroundings. Belgium’s World Cup base camp is just a few miles down the road at the Sounders FC Performance Center, and the Red Devils opened their World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Egypt in another dramatic game.

“I believe in the quality of this side,” Garcia said. “It’s not the best of all time, but tonight we wrote history.”

Senegal dominated the first 85 minutes of the match, with the Lions of Teranga mercilessly pressuring Belgium’s overwhelmed backline. After Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a diving attempt to thwart an early attempt, Senegal opened the scoring on a rebound by Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra in the 25th minute.

Senegal made it 2-0 in the 51st minute on an outstanding goal by Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, who took a long ball from Moussa Niakhate off his chest, shielded a defender and knocked his shot past a helpless Courtois.

Belgium appeared headed for a World Cup exit with little in the way of a threat on Senegal goalie Mory Diaw. Garcia brought Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku on at halftime and later subbed off Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne.

Garcia urged his players during the second half hydration break to try to find one goal and then “anything can happen.” And it did when Lukaku found the back of the net with an 86th-minute goal.

With their World Cup hopes resuscitated, Belgium continued to press. Tielemans scored his first goal of the game just three minutes later when he fought through a pair of Senegal defenders to head a ball past Diaw, who had ventured out of his goal.

That set the stage for a dramatic ending for the sellout crowd of 66,925.

Extra time remained scoreless, with Belgium’s Dodi Lukebakio sending a solid look over the goal in the 109th minute. That was after the ball had passed by Tielemans, who went down on a tackle by Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara.

Referee Said Martinez was alerted to a VAR review, and several minutes later returned with the decision that a penalty kick had been awarded. Lukaku initially had the ball, before handing it to the Red Devils captain.

Tielemans, who had made one of two previous career penalty kicks for the national team, calmly drilled it into the upper right-hand corner for the game-winning goal.

“This Senegal side is one of the best teams in the tournament. Technically, physically and tactically, it was really tough,” Lukaku said. “But when we stepped up the intensity of our pressing, when we were there for the second ball, our team spirit shone through and we won the match.”

Garcia, who called Senegal the best African team in the tournament, said the penalty call was “justified.” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw was also asked multiple times for his opinion, but declined to offer one.

“Some people said there should not be (a foul given),” Thiaw said. “I do not want to interpret the referee’s decision. There’s always room for interpretation. I’d rather not comment on him. I’d rather not comment at all.”

Thiaw acknowledged that his team did not recover its energy after Belgium scored late in regulation, and that the loss marked a “cruel” end to his team’s World Cup.

“A football match is not an 85-minute one,” Thiaw said. “Belgium came back and we were not able to handle that.

“Football is a cruel sport. It’s not easy for me, it’s not easy for the players. I feel like they gave it their all. They wanted it for their country, but it did not work out.”

–Derek Harper, Field Level Media