Carrington shines as Sun defeat Sparks in record-breaking night at TD Garden

Carrington guides Sun to victory over Sparks in memorable evening at TD Garden with a groundbreaking performance.

The Connecticut Sun capped off a historic day for the franchise with a thrilling victory in front of a sold-out Boston crowd.

Tuesday night's showdown vs. the Los Angeles Sparks was the first-ever WNBA game played at TD Garden, the home of the NBA champion Boston Celtics. The 19,156 tickets marked the most for a Sun game in franchise history. It was the third-highest attendance for any WNBA game this season.

Record-breaking night @ConnecticutSun pic.twitter.com/SUgWPFy7PP

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) August 20, 2024

Celtics star Jayson Tatum was among those in attendance for the special occasion, along with teammate Jrue Holiday and his family.

Jayson Tatum Dijonai Carrington @jaytatum0 @DijonaiVictoria pic.twitter.com/F15BSgruhx

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) August 21, 2024

Jrue Holiday and his family in the house for @ConnecticutSun vs. Sparks! @celtics @Jrue_Holiday11 pic.twitter.com/RyHVfhQzzY

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) August 21, 2024

The Garden crowd was treated to a back-and-forth nail-biter. The last-place L.A. squad led after the first quarter but Connecticut answered in the second to take a six-point lead into the half. Sun guard Tyasha Harris showed off her best Payton Pritchard impression with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

AT. THE BUZZER. ⏰ pic.twitter.com/dmZaSkpvZm

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) August 21, 2024

The Sparks ripped off a 13-3 run and briefly pulled ahead in the fourth quarter. The Sun responded with a 14-0 run over the final four minutes to escape with a memorable 69-61 win. It was an entertaining ending that featured L.A. coach Curt Miller getting ejected:

DiJonai Carrington led the way for Connecticut with a game-high 19 points. Brionna Jones (15 points) and Harris (14 points) also reached double figures.

Sparks forwards Azura Stevens and Rickea Jackson scored 14 apiece in the losing effort.

Connecticut's triumph was simply the icing on the cake for the franchise's landmark day. Sun star and Olympic gold medalist Alyssa Thomas (9 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists) summed it up during her postgame interview.

"This is phenomenal. This is what it's all about," she said. "Hopefully, this is the start of something beautiful. This is the kind of atmosphere you want to play in. This is where women's basketball is trending. We had so much fun tonight, so hopefully we can keep this going."

Connecticut's record improved to 20-7 with the victory. L.A. is now a league-worst 6-22.

Next, the Sun will host Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday. Tip-off for that matchup is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.