Liberty-Sun preview

The surging New York Liberty will try to build on their recent success when they visit the struggling Connecticut Sun on Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

New York (6-4) has won four of its last five games. The Liberty's only setback during that stretch was a 100-77 loss to the undefeated Los Angeles Sparks on June 7.

Connecticut (2-9) has dropped two in a row and eight of its last nine, including a 109-106 triple-overtime loss to the Washington Mystics on Tuesday. The Sun's only win during that span was a 77-76 victory over the Seattle Storm on June 10.

New York is led by four-time WNBA All-Star and 2012 MVP Tina Charles, a 6-foot-4 center who has expanded her game to include a reliable outside shooting touch. Charles, who averages 20.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, made a career-high three 3-pointers and led all scorers with 28 points in New York's 91-88 victory over the Dallas Wings on Tuesday. She is 5 of 8 from beyond the arc this season after making just 2 of 17 3-pointers in her first six seasons in the league.

New York's second leading scorer is Sugar Rodgers, who is averaging 16.2 points per game. She had 18 in the win over Dallas, scoring in double figures for the ninth time this season.

Connecticut has three players scoring in double figures this season. Jasmine Thomas averages 11.7 points per game, Camille Little is at 10.7 points and Alex Bentley is at 10 points.

Bentley scored 31 points in the triple-overtime loss to Washington.

This will be the first meeting between New York and Connecticut this season. The teams will play each other again on July 17 and Sept. 9. Both of those games will be at Madison Square Garden.