UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) Jasmine Thomas scored 21 points and the Connecticut Sun rallied from an 11-point deficit in the second half to beat the Indiana Fever 89-87 on Tuesday night.
The Fever (16-16) came into the night tied with Atlanta and Chicago for the fourth seed in the playoffs, which includes a first-round bye in the postseason. Indiana, which has made the playoffs for 12 straight seasons, holds the tiebreaker over both those teams.
It was a back-and-forth first half before the Fever closed with the final five points, making it 47-41 at the break. The advantage grew to 11 in the third quarter before Connecticut (12-20) rallied.
The game was tied at 80 with just over 2 minutes left before Thomas hit a 3-pointer from the wing. Jonquel Jones' three-point play with 1:07 left made it 87-82.
The Fever had a chance to tie it, but Shenise Johnson's 3-pointer from the corner bounced off the rim with 17.9 seconds left. Thomas hit two free throws to seal the win.
Catchings, who will retire at the end of the season, moved within two rebounds of Lisa Leslie's career record of 3,007. The Sun presented a check to Catchings before the game for $5,024 for her foundation.
