The Connecticut Sun's roster for their final season in the state is set, following a disappointing 2025 season. The team aims to improve before relocating to Houston in 2027.
Key points
Connecticut Sun's roster is set for the 2026 season.
The team had an 11-33 record in 2025, missing the playoffs.
The Sun will relocate to Houston in 2027.
Nell Angloma and Leila Lacan are temporarily suspended.
The season opens against the New York Liberty.
Connecticut SunNew York LibertyNell AnglomaLeila Lacan
The roster for the Connecticut Sunâs final season in the state is officially set.
The Sun had their worst season in franchise history in 2025, finishing with an 11-33 record and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The team hopes to give the Connecticut fanbase more to celebrate in 2026, the final year before the team relocates to Houston in 2027.
The Sun are in a unique position as the season tips off, technically carrying more than the maximum 12 players allowed on the final roster. The team temporarily suspended the contracts of rookie forward Nell Angloma and second-year guard Leila Lacan, who are both overseas completing their seasons in Franceâs Ligue Feminine. Once the pair officially join the team, Connecticut will need to make two more cuts.
The team could also roster an additional player with one of its two developmental slots still available. Development players, introduced this year under the WNBAâs new collective bargaining agreement, are players with less than three years of experience in the league who can appear in up to 12 games without counting against a teamâs salary cap. They can be upgraded to the full roster at any time if the team has need.
Connecticut opens the season Friday against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. and will air on ION.
Before the season begins, get to know the Sunâs 2026 roster:
No. 33 Nell Angloma, 6**-1, F:** Angloma was drafted No. 12 overall in the first round of the 2026 WNBA Draft but did not participate in training camp because it overlapped with the playoffs for her overseas team in Franceâs Ligue Feminine. Anglomaâs contract is temporarily suspended, and she will miss at least the first two games, but she is expected to join the team by the end of this week.
No. 15 Raegan Beers, 6-4, C: Beers was a surprise for the Sun, making the opening day roster after going undrafted and signing with the team on a training camp contract. The former Oklahoma star averaged 15.8 points and 10.4 rebounds shooting 61.5% from the field in her final college season, earning first team All-SEC honors.
Q&A
What is the Connecticut Sun's record for the 2025 season?
The Connecticut Sun finished the 2025 season with an 11-33 record.
Who are the suspended players on the Connecticut Sun roster?
The suspended players are rookie forward Nell Angloma and second-year guard Leila Lacan, both currently playing overseas.
When does the Connecticut Sun's 2026 season start?
The Connecticut Sun's 2026 season opens on Friday against the New York Liberty at 7:30 p.m.
What are developmental players in the WNBA?
Developmental players are those with less than three years of experience who can play in up to 12 games without affecting the team's salary cap.
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No. 22 Kennedy Burke, 6-1, F: Burke signed with the Sun in free agency after two seasons with the New York Liberty, where she won a WNBA championship in 2024. Burke has been a perennial sixth woman over her six years in the league and averaged 8.1 points shooting a career-high 46.8% from the field and 41.4% on 3-pointers. with New York in 2025. Sheâll take on a bigger role this season as one of Connecticutâs only veteran leaders.
No. 8 Aaliyah Edwards, 6-3, F: Edwards is entering her first full season with the Sun after she was traded to the franchise in the middle of 2025 by the Washington Mystics, who drafted her No. 6 overall in 2024. The former UConn star averaged 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17 minutes over 15 game appearances in Connecticut last year.
No. 42 Brittney Griner, 6-9, C: Griner was the Sunâs marquee free agent signing and is the most veteran player on the team with 12 years of WNBA experience. The 11-time All-Star averaged 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks with the Atlanta Dream in 2025, but she expects to increase her production significantly this season as a centerpiece of Connecticutâs offense.
No. 5 Gianna Kneepkens, 6-0, G: Kneepkens was selected with the No. 15 pick in the first round of the 2026 draft after helping lead UCLA to its first NCAA championship. The rookie guard averaged 12.8 points and 3.1 rebounds shooting 49.3% from the field and 42.9% on 3-pointers for the Bruins in her final college season.
No. 47 Leila Lacan, 5-11, G: Lacan wonât join the Sun for at least another week while her French club competes for the Ligue Feminine championship, so her contract is temporarily suspended. The second-year guard also arrived late last season due to commitments with the French national team, but she was a standout in her 25 game appearances for the Sun averaging 10.4 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals.
No. 4 Charlisse Leger-Walker, 5-10, G: Leger-Walker was selected with the No. 18 pick in the second round of the 2026 WNBA Draft and has been a standout for the Sun during training camp. The former UCLA guard averaged 8.4 points, 5.6 assists, four rebounds and 1.6 steals in her final college season, and she will likely play a significant role in Connecticutâs point guard rotation.
No. 1 Diamond Miller, 6-3, F: The Sun acquired Miller in an offseason trade with the Dallas Wings and will look to revitalize the young forwardâs career. Miller was drafted No. 2 overall by the Minnesota Lynx and made the All-Rookie team in 2023, but she was sidelined for several weeks by a knee injury in 2024 and never found her way back into the rotation. The Lynx traded Miller to the Wings in the middle of the 2025 season, and she averaged 12.7 minutes over 15 game appearances in Dallas.
No. 24 Aneesah Morrow, 6-1, F: Morrow, the No. 7 pick in the 2025 draft, is poised for a breakout second season after logging 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 19 minutes per game during her rookie campaign with the Sun. She had an impressive offseason in Athletes Unlimited and averaged 14.5 points plus 7.5 rebounds and two steals across Connecticutâs pair of preseason games.
No. 10 Olivia Nelson-Ododa, 6-5, C: Nelson-Ododa has been with the Sun longer than any other player on the roster, entering her fourth season in Connecticut and fifth in the WNBA. The former UConn standout had the most productive year of her career in 2025 averaging 8.2 points, five rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 21 minutes per game.
No. 5 Shey Peddy, 5-7, G: Peddy is the Sunâs most veteran player behind Griner with six years of WNBA experience at age 37. She appeared in 15 games last season between stints with the Los Angeles Sparks and Indiana Fever, averaging 5.9 points, 2.3 assists and a steal in 17.7 minutes per game. Peddy missed both of Connecticutâs preseason games due to a lower left leg injury.
No. 22 Saniya Rivers, 6-1, G: Rivers, the No. 8 pick in the 2025 draft, will be a key piece for the Sun in 2026 after a strong rookie campaign last year. Rivers averaged 8.8 points, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 2025, and she became the first rookie guard since Alana Beard in 2004 to log at least 100 stocks (steals plus blocks).
No. 2 Hailey Van Lith, 5-9, G: The Sun claimed Van Lith off of waivers Wednesday after she was cut by the Chicago Sky. The second-year guard was Chicagoâs No. 11 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, but she averaged just 12.4 minutes in 29 game appearances during her rookie season.
Developmental player
No. 9 Ashlon Jackson, 6-0, G: Connecticut signed Jackson to a development player contract after she was waived by the Golden State Valkyries. Jackson, the No. 23 pick in the 2026 draft, averaged 11.2 points, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals in her senior college season at Duke.
